Design, bioproduction and characterization of protein recombinant silk-elastin-based polymers: a new class of nano-biomaterials

TL;DRAbstract

Recombinant protein-based polymers (rPBPs) are an emerging class of biopolymers with unique chemical, physical and biological characteristics that provide promising solutions for the increasing demand of advanced functional biomaterials. The use of recombinant DNA technology allows to fine tune the molecular structure of rPBPs by the precise control of its size and composition. The copolymers developed in the scope of this thesis were obtained by genetic engineering by combining selected properties from two of the most extraordinary structural biopolymers found in nature: silk fibroin and elastin. Silk fibroin, with a semicrystalline structure, has long been known as a reference material, combining strength and ductility, with a long history of medical use in humans as a material for sutures. Elastin, found in mammalian tissues such as skin, lungs and arteries is one of the most remarkable rubber-like proteins. By combining the elasticity and high resilience of an ideal elastomer like

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