In Vivo Bioengineering of Fluorescent Conductive Protein-Dye Microfibers.

ABSTRACT: Engineering protein-based biomaterials is extremely challenging in bioelectronics, medicine, and materials science, as mechanical, electrical, and optical properties need to be merged to biocompatibility and resistance to biodegradation. An effective strategy is the engineering of physiological processes in situ, by addition of new properties to endogenous components. Here we show that a green fluorescent semiconducting thiophene dye, DTTO, promotes, in vivo, the biogenesis of fluorescent conductive protein microfibers via metabolic pathways. By challenging the simple freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris with DTTO, we demonstrate the stable incorporation of the dye into supramolecular protein-dye co-assembled microfibers without signs of toxicity. An integrated multilevel analysis including mor

SUBMITTER: Moros M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7155203 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature