Weizmann Institute of Science
The millennial evolution of biological organisms allowed them to enhance their functions to ensure survival, encompassing biochemical, biological, and biophysical multi-length scale processes. In this context, the generation of new biomaterial having specific and programmable properties nowadays spreads in a myriad of applications. An outstanding example of extremely dynamic and sensitive material is the self-assembly mechanism happening in silkworms during silk spun. This process expects the silk protein to go through structural transitions and aggregation initiating the natural conformation of micron-scale compartments rich in silk protein for keeping linearity in the mechanical fluid properties. Then, the pH drop combined with the enhancement of silk protein concentration defines the unstable conditions under elongational flow disassembles the micron- compartments, and releases the silk protein that starts the self-assembly process leading to the micron fiber production.
However, a lack of general perspectives regarding the rheological behavior of silk protein- rich in content solution, has not reduced the gap in manipulating the silk protein for the generation of macroscopic amorphous structures. Here, an in-vitro approach has been implemented to deeply study the conditions prior fiber spinning related to the environmental and fluid dynamic conditions by independently control the independent parameters: pH, concentration and shear forces. In such a context, microfluidics has been used as a platform to precisely estimate the shear rate regime that locally acts on the interface during the rheological structure generation. Additionally, the use of rheometer clarify the mechanical performance of silk protein pulp utilizing the same conditions used for microfluidics. A microscopy characterization have been further performed for morphological and structural characterization of the micron- compartments. This work lays the basis for a deeper understanding of the mechanism governing the complex non- linear phenomena of self-assembly opening new avenues in the personalized silk material generation.
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