RUI: The Molecular Mechanisms and Mechanical Behavior of Spider Glue Silks

RUI：蜘蛛胶丝的分子机制和力学行为

• 批准号: 1105310
• 负责人: Craig Vierra
• 金额: $ 32万
• 依托单位: University of the Pacific
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-07-01 至 2015-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1105310&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Molecular; Mechanisms; Mechanical; Behavior

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 1105310 PI: Vierra, Craig ORG: University of the PacificTitle: RUI: The molecular mechanisms and mechanical behavior of spider glue silksINTELLECTUAL MERIT: Spiders manufacture a variety of high performance structural fibers that have outstanding mechanical properties. This project investigates the relationship between the molecular structure and mechanical behavior of spider glue silks, a class of fibers spun from newly discovered glue silk proteins. These spider glue silks differ substantially from the widely studied dragline silks and have unique biochemical properties that make them excellent candidates for large-scale synthetic fiber production. The primary goal of the proposed research is to characterize the molecular and mechanical properties of native and artificially spun glue silk fibers. The central hypothesis is that the molecular sequences of glue silk proteins have evolved specialized features that are well suited for viable biomaterials for design, structural, and other engineering applications. The molecular mechanisms and mechanical behavior of natural and artificially spun glue silk fibers will be studied to help accelerate development of next generation engineering materials. The research should develop new insights into the relationship between the molecular structure of glue silks and its implications on the mechanical behavior of the fibers. Studying the molecular and mechanical properties of glue silks will help delineate how glue silk protein sequences relate to its unique biological function, which will provide insight into how these silk types are capable of being spun into a gelatinous matrix that facilitates spider locomotion and web construction. The nanostructure and mechanical behavior of natural and artificial spider glue silk fibers will be characterized using atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. Emphasis will also be placed on elucidating the secondary and tertiary structure of the glue silk fibroin, PySp1, using circular dichroism, NMR, and mass spectrometry. Spider silk glue proteins will be expressed using a heterologous expression system in yeast, purified and spun into artificial silk fibers. Both natural and synthetic spider glue silk fibers will be characterized at the nanoscale level to reveal the molecular relationship between the protein modules within the PySp1 amino acid sequence and their contributions to the mechanical behavior of glue silks from black widow spiders. BROADER IMPACTS: The broader impacts of the proposed research include comprehensive mentoring programs and promotion of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields to underrepresented student groups. Because this work is highly interdisciplinary, integrating engineering, biology, chemistry, and physics, the principal investigators will be able to train students broadly across a wide-range of disciplines. The principal investigators will mentor students at a variety of different educational levels, including at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate student levels. They will also promote engagement from underrepresented groups by encouraging participation by economically disadvantaged and minority students. Additionally, the proposed research will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by fostering collaborations and interdisciplinary research between the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and the School of Engineering and Computer Science through the acquisition of an atomic force microscope supported by this proposal. The results of the proposed research will be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific understanding of the bioengineering potentials for spider glue silks. The findings of the proposed studies will be made visible to the community via local news stations, radio stations, community outreach programs, the Science Blast STEM program, scientific research articles, and regional and national scientific meetings. Collectively, these studies have transformative potential and will provide new directions for the utilization of artificial spider glue silks as environmentally friendly, next generation materials.

ID：MPS/DMR/BMAT（7623）1105310 主要研究者：Vierra，克雷格ORG：太平洋大学标题：- 我知道蜘蛛胶丝的分子机理和力学行为智能优势：蜘蛛制造各种高性能结构纤维，具有出色的机械性能。 该项目研究蜘蛛胶丝的分子结构和机械行为之间的关系，蜘蛛胶丝是一种由新发现的胶丝蛋白纺成的纤维。 这些蜘蛛胶丝与广泛研究的拖丝有很大不同，具有独特的生物化学特性，使其成为大规模合成纤维生产的优秀候选者。 拟议的研究的主要目标是表征天然和人工纺丝胶丝纤维的分子和机械性能。 核心假设是，胶丝蛋白的分子序列已经进化出非常适合用于设计、结构和其他工程应用的可行生物材料的专门特征。 研究天然和人工粘胶丝纤维的分子机理和力学行为，以加速下一代工程材料的开发。 这项研究将对粘胶丝的分子结构及其对纤维力学行为的影响之间的关系产生新的见解。 研究胶丝的分子和机械特性将有助于描述胶丝蛋白序列如何与其独特的生物学功能相关，这将有助于深入了解这些丝类型如何能够被纺成凝胶状基质，促进蜘蛛运动和网络构建。 天然和人造蜘蛛胶丝纤维的纳米结构和力学行为将使用原子力和扫描电子显微镜进行表征。 重点也将放在阐明的二级和三级结构的胶丝素蛋白，PySp 1，使用圆二色性，NMR和质谱。 蜘蛛丝胶蛋白将使用异源表达系统在酵母中表达，纯化并纺成人造丝纤维。 天然和合成的蜘蛛胶丝纤维将在纳米级水平上进行表征，以揭示PySp 1氨基酸序列中蛋白质模块之间的分子关系及其对黑寡妇蜘蛛胶丝机械行为的贡献。更广泛的影响：拟议研究的更广泛影响包括全面的辅导计划和促进科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）领域的职业发展，以代表性不足的学生群体。 由于这项工作是高度跨学科的，整合了工程，生物，化学和物理，主要研究人员将能够在广泛的学科范围内广泛地培训学生。 主要研究人员将指导学生在各种不同的教育水平，包括在高中，本科和研究生水平。 它们还将通过鼓励经济弱势群体和少数民族学生的参与，促进代表性不足群体的参与。 此外，拟议的研究将加强研究和教育的基础设施，通过收购本提案支持的原子力显微镜，促进生物学，化学，物理学和工程与计算机科学学院之间的合作和跨学科研究。 拟议研究的结果将广泛传播，以提高对蜘蛛胶丝生物工程潜力的科学认识。 拟议研究的结果将通过当地新闻台、广播电台、社区外展计划、Science Blast STEM计划、科学研究文章以及地区和国家科学会议向社区公布。 总的来说，这些研究具有变革的潜力，将为利用人造蜘蛛胶丝作为环境友好的下一代材料提供新的方向。