Silk Fibroin: An Emerging Biocompatible Material for Application of Enzymes and Whole Cells in Bioelectronics and Bioanalytical Sciences

Abstract

Enzymes and whole cells serve as the active biological entities in a myriad of applications including bioprocesses, bioanalytics, and bioelectronics. Conserving the natural activity of these functional biological entities during their prolonged use is one of the major goals for validating their practical applications. Silk fibroin (SF) has emerged as a biocompatible material to interface with enzymes as well as whole cells. These biomaterials can be tailored both physically and chemically to create excellent scaffolds of different forms such as fibers, films, and powder for immobilization and stabilization of enzymes. The secondary structures of the SF-protein can be attuned to generate hydrophobic/hydrophilic pockets suitable to create the biocompatible microenvironments. The fibrous nature of the SF protein with a dominant hydrophobic property may also serve as an excellent support for promoting cellular adhesion and growth. This review compiles and discusses the recent literature on the application of SF as a biocompatible material at the interface of enzymes and cells in various fields, including the emerging area of bioelectronics and bioanalytical sciences.

Electrospun Poly(ethylene Terephthalate)/Silk Fibroin Composite for Filtration Application

“…The biocompatibility of SF in many forms has already been studied by many researchers [ 53 , 112 , 113 ]. The majority of the amino acids in silk fibroin are glycine (45.9%) and alanine (30.3%), which show minimal chemical reactivity and give the SF unique features including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and host–implantation integration.…”

Enzyme entrapment, biocatalyst immobilization without covalent attachment

“…The immobilization of enzymes and biocatalysts in biopolymers, such as proteins and carbohydrates is well established and has been the subject of recent reviews. 46,[140][141][142] Biomaterials are attractive due to their non-toxicity, biodegradability, flexibility and availability. 142 This review will concentrate on methods in which the enzyme becomes entrapped.…”

Paramagnetic Functionalization of Biocompatible Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications: A Perspective

“…As well as collagen, silk fibroin (SF) protein [ 115 ] was used to obtain a magneto-responsive scaffold in mixture with poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and Fe 3 O 4 MNPs [ 116 ]. Silk fibroin and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) were synthesized by free radical polymerization technique in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate acting as cross linker.…”