Silk-inorganic composite materials with programmed mechanics

我们的目标是了解纤维蛋白质的结构和成分的机械性能的复杂相互作用，并在工程新的蛋白质作为先进的复合材料的基础。我们将使用重组生产和工程化的蜘蛛丝蛋白形成水凝胶，这些蛋白可以在分子水平上进行控制，以构建复杂的功能结构。这种强大的系统允许生产人工材料，如（散装）凝胶，并使用微流体进行过程控制，甚至凝胶微粒。这些将进一步用作无机材料组装的模板，从而“继承”结构，同时提高机械增强和新的功能特性。使用显微镜、电子显微镜、SAXS、微流变学和基于纳米机械AFM的表征对层次结构的所有长度尺度进行机械和结构表征将允许分离对构成材料的结构和弹性性质的影响。因此，我们的共同努力将允许从分子到宏观尺度控制和表征系统。

We aim at understanding the complex interplay of structure and constituent's mechanical properties of fibrous proteins and at engineering of novel proteins as a basis for advanced composite materials. We will form hydrogels by using recombinantly produced and engineered spider silk proteins, which can be controlled on molecular scale for building complex functional structures. This robust system allows producing artificial materials like (bulk) gels and, using microfluidics for process control, even gel-microparticles. These will further serve as templates for assembly of inorganic materials, which will consequently "inherit" the structure and at the same time give raise to mechanical reinforcement and novel functional properties. Mechanical and structural characterization on all length scales of the hierarchy using microscopy, electronmicroscopy, SAXS, micro-rheology and nanomechanical AFM-based characterization will allow separating the influence on structure and elastic properties of the constituting materials. In consequence, our joint effort will allow controlling and characterizing the system from molecular to macroscopic scale.