New self-assembling antimicrobial biomaterials based on spider silk.

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Spider silk is a large (200-250 kDa) protein known for its excellent biocompatibility, slow degradation, and low immunogenicity and pyrogenicity. Silks exhibit exceptional mechanical properties - it is tougher than any synthetic material (including bullet-proof Kevlar) and stronger than steel on weight-per-weight basis. Unfortunately, it is not feasible to farm spiders due to their cannibalistic and highly territorial nature.In this project, we use synthetic miniature spider silk constructs that are expressed recombinantly in bacteria, therefore eliminating the need for spider farming. Additionally, unlike spiders, bacteria are able to incorporate man-made amino acids with selectively reactive side chains into the silk protein sequence. In this way, we can use synthetic biology to produce a customisable silk platform for further modification in a tightly controlled, sustainable and scalable approach. Furthermore, recombinant silk can be easily processed into different stable morphologies, such as fibres, hydrogels, spheres, glues, and self-assembling films that can be readily adapted to their final role.The aim of this project is to create recombinant spider silk-based materials with antimicrobial properties. We intend to decorate silk with antimicrobial molecules using click chemistry - a series of robust, high yielding, biocompatible chemical reactions that are tolerant to a wide range of conditions. Further, this project will assess the biological activity of the antimicrobial silk conjugates. Antimicrobial silk conjugates have an extensive potential in various medical and bioengineering applications. Functionalised silks can be processed into infection-resistant surgical sutures and glues, wound dressings, and medical device coatings. Such custom-designed antimicrobial silk materials tackle infection at the susceptible site, mitigating issues associated with systemic overuse of antibiotics, surface-associated bacterial growth, and hospital-acquired infections.