De Novo Design of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins for Material Applications

Abstract

Spider silks are well known for their superior mechanical properties that are stronger and tougher than steel despite being assembled at close to ambient conditions and using water as the solvent. However, it is a significant challenge to utilize spider silks for practical applications due to their limited sources. Fortunately, genetic engineering techniques offer a promising approach to produce useable amounts of spider silk variants. Starting from these recombinant spider silk proteins, a series of experiments and simulations strategies are developed to improve the recombinant spider silk proteins (RSSP) material design and fabrication with the aim of biomimicking the structure-property-function relationships of spider silks. Accordingly, in this review, the authors first introduce the structure-property-function relationship of spider silks. Then, the recent progress in the genetic synthesis of RSSPs is discussed and their related multiscale self-assembly behaviors is summarized. Finally, the authors outline works utilizing multiscale modeling to assist RSSP material design.

Ultrastrong and Highly Sensitive Fiber Microactuators Constructed by Force‐Reeled Silks

“…This outstanding actuation characteristic promotes the spider web to maintain its geometric configuration in widely variable environmental humidity and even allows the spider to perceive the imposed external loads on the network . However, although spider silks have so many advantages for actuator applications, their practical application in the industry is not feasible yet . Because spiders are nondomestic creatures and only produce small amounts of silk …”

“…However, although spider silks have so many advantages for actuator applications, their practical application in the industry is not feasible yet . Because spiders are nondomestic creatures and only produce small amounts of silk …”

Robust Biological Fibers Based on Widely Available Proteins: Facile Fabrication and Suturing Application

“…The superior mechanical properties of those silks have inspired scientists to create biomimetic protein‐based fibers for various biomedical applications . To date, many groups have constructed biological fibers based on the regeneration of silkworm proteins and recombination of spider silk proteins . However, by the two methods, the hierarchical structure of proteins cannot be preserved well or some functional protein domains are absent .…”

Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Biomedicine, Nanomaterials in Biotechnology Journal

“…Shengjie Ling and colleagues review progress in the genetic synthesis of recombinant spider silk proteins (RSSP) and their multiscale self‐assembly behaviors, as well as works utilizing multiscale modeling to assist in RSSP material design . Another review by the same group details nanobiopolymer fabrication . Nanobiopolymers are mostly sustainable and biodegradable and can be applied in wide emerging high‐tech fields, such as biomedical devices, bioplastics, energy storage devices, and more.…”

“…[6] Another review by the same group details nanobiopolymer fabrication. [5] Nanobiopolymers are mostly sustainable and biodegradable and can be applied in wide emerging high-tech fields, such as biomedical devices, bioplastics, energy storage devices, and more. Ling et al introduce isolation techniques to fabricate nanobiopolymers from natural materials, as well as microbially produced nanobiopolymers.…”