Artificial Extracellular Matrix Proteins

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The objective of this project is to design and synthesize a new class of protein biomaterials for use in vascular graft applications. The proteins consist of repeats of elastin derived polypeptides with various cell binding peptides. They will be produced by expressing artificial genes in bacteria. The molecular structure of the materials will be manipulated via peptide sequence modifications and crosslinking methods in order to optimize mechanical and cell interaction properties. Finally, the attachment, spreading and function of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells on these materials will be evaluated under both static and perfused culture conditions, as a function of molecular properties.