Blumlein, Alice and McManus, Jennifer (2015) Bigels formed via spinodal decomposition of unfolded protein. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 3. pp. 3429-3435. ISSN 2050-7518

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Abstract

Bigels (or double network gels) are an emerging class of tuneable soft materials characterized by two discrete but interpenetrating gel networks in which both networks contribute to the physical and mechanical properties of the material. We describe, for the first time, the formation of a bigel network from two different proteins. By careful control of solution conditions, kinetics and specific protein chemistry the inter-species interactions in the two protein system are weak compared with the intra-protein attraction, which leads to bigel formation. The resulting protein bigel has an elastic modulus four times greater than the combined elastic moduli of the parent gels, has an elastic response over several deformation cycles and is both thermo- and chemo-responsive. These gels have the potential to be used as biomimetics in tissue culture, in drug delivery or for biomedical applications such as wound healing.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Bigels; spinodal decomposition; unfolded protein;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Chemistry
Item ID:	10776
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TB00131E
Depositing User:	Jennifer McManus
Date Deposited:	08 May 2019 16:54
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Materials Chemistry B
Publisher:	Royal Society of Chemistry
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	https://pubs.rsc.org
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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