Wei Shicao, Li Yingfeng, Li Ke, Kang Anqi, Zhang Siyu, Feng Teng, Zhang Hui, Zhong Chao
Materials and Physical Biology Division, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
Mater Today Bio. 2021 Dec 2;13:100179. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100179. eCollection 2022 Jan.
The precise fabrication of artificially designed molecular complexes into ordered structures resembling their natural counterparts would find broad applications but remains a major challenge in the field. Here we genetically design chitin-binding domain (CBD)-containing amyloid proteins, and rationally fabricate well-ordered CBD-containing functional amyloid-chitin complex structures by coupling a top-down manufacturing process with a bottom-up self-assembly. Our fabrication approach starts with the dissolution of both CBD-containing functional amyloid and chitin in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) to make a hybrid ink. This hybrid ink platform, coupled with multiple fabrication methods including airbrushing, electrospinning and soft-lithography, produces a series of unique freestanding structures. The structural features of the products, such as the ability to direct the light path and mimicking of the extracellular matrix enable applications in functional light gratings and cell culture, respectively. Further genetic engineering of the protein component allowed tunable functionalization of these materials, including nanoparticle immobilization and protein conjugation, resulting in broad applications in electronic devices and enzyme immobilization. Our technological platform can drive new advances in biocatalysis, tissue engineering, biomedicine, photonics and electronics.
将人工设计的分子复合物精确制造成类似于天然对应物的有序结构将有广泛的应用，但仍然是该领域的一项重大挑战。在此，我们通过基因设计含几丁质结合域（CBD）的淀粉样蛋白，并通过将自上而下的制造过程与自下而上的自组装相结合，合理构建含CBD的有序功能性淀粉样蛋白-几丁质复合结构。我们的制造方法始于将含CBD的功能性淀粉样蛋白和几丁质溶解在六氟异丙醇（HFIP）中制成混合墨水。这种混合墨水平台与包括喷枪喷涂、静电纺丝和软光刻在内的多种制造方法相结合，产生了一系列独特的独立结构。产品的结构特征，如引导光路的能力和对细胞外基质的模拟，分别使其能够应用于功能性光栅和细胞培养。对蛋白质成分的进一步基因工程改造实现了这些材料的可调功能化，包括纳米颗粒固定和蛋白质偶联，从而在电子设备和酶固定方面有广泛应用。我们的技术平台可以推动生物催化、组织工程、生物医学、光子学和电子学的新进展。
