Nano‐bio‐engineered silk matrix based devices for molecular bioanalysis

Abstract

Silk is a fibrous protein, has been a part of human lives for centuries, and was used as suture and textile material. Silk is mainly produced by the members of certain arthropods such as spiders, butterflies, mites, and moths. However, recent technological advances have revolutionized silk as a biomaterial for various applications ranging from heat sensors to robust fibers. The biocompatibility, mechanical resilience, and biodegradability of the material make it a suitable candidate for biomaterials. Silk can also be easily converted into several morphological forms, including fibers, films, sponges, and hydrogels. Provided these abilities, silk have received excellent traction from scientists worldwide for various developments, one of them being its use as a bio-sensor. The diversity of silk materials offers various options, giving scientists the freedom to choose from and personalize them as per their needs. In this review, we foremost look upon the composition, production, properties, and various morphologies of silk. The numerous applications of silk and its derivatives for fabricating biosensors to detect small molecules, macromolecules, and cells have been explored comprehensively. Also, the data from various globally developed sensors using silk have been described into organized tables for each category of molecules, along with their important analytical details.

Silk‐based conductive materials for smart biointerfaces

“…98,99 The abundant functional groups in SF polymer chains, together with the complexity of physical interaction between molecules, can serve as excellent targets for the designing of novel detection systems for diverse diagnostic applications. 100 For example, various enzymes and aptamers can target the SF molecular chain by functional groups amino and hydroxyl, which improve their stability in the detection systems. 101,102 By utilizing a physical interaction, some functional nanoparticles or fillers can immobilize the SF molecular networks to promote their stability.…”

“…Biosensors based on silk fibroin and their derivatives also attract great interest due to their ability to detect various small biomolecules, including biochemicals, proteins, electrolytes, and disease‐specific genes 98,99 . The abundant functional groups in SF polymer chains, together with the complexity of physical interaction between molecules, can serve as excellent targets for the designing of novel detection systems for diverse diagnostic applications 100 . For example, various enzymes and aptamers can target the SF molecular chain by functional groups amino and hydroxyl, which improve their stability in the detection systems 101,102 .…”

Ultrasensitive Aptasensors for the Detection of Viruses Based on Opto-Electrochemical Readout Systems

“…Electrochemical biosensors measure the signal based on any minute difference in potential, conductance, current, or field effect that occurs because of the binding between the BRE and the analyte [ 51 , 52 ]. These systems are preferred over others because of their selectivity, sensitivity, and operational details [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. The three electrodes typically used in an electrochemical system include; the working electrode (e.g., glassy carbon electrode functions as the transducing element); the auxiliary/counter electrode (e.g., Pt electrode, acts to complete the circuit); and the reference electrode (e.g., Ag/AgCl electrode, important for creating a steady potential) [ 24 , 57 , 58 , 59 ].…”

Sustainable Antibacterial Surgical Suture Based on Recycled Silk Resource by an Internal Combination of Inorganic Nanomaterials

“…1−3 In addition, silk fibers have excellent knotting fastness and operability and have become one of the most widely used medical surgical sutures. 4 The proteins in silk surgical sutures provide nutrients for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. In the meantime, the braided structure of sutures provides a chance for the propagation of bacteria, leading to the easy occurrence of festering inflammation and other infection symptoms in wounds.…”