Protein based biological and bio-inspired materials and composites

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While we normally think of organic compounds as the basis of life, many biological materials are in fact composite structures, comprised of both organic and inorganic substances. Our bones and teeth, for example, are composed primarily of organic protein fibres (collagen) and a calcium phosphate mineral (hydroxyapatite). Complex interactions between these two components result in an intricate hierarchical assembly with impressive mechanical properties. Likewise, organic-mineral interactions are critical to the bioadhesion of some sedentary animals like mollusks, which attach to rocks using a protein glue that can set underwater. Surprisingly, details of the formation, composition and structure of many of these interfaces are still not well understood, despite its vital role in phenomena such as bioadhesion and biomineralization. A better understanding of protein-surface interactions in these phenomena has important implications for interfacial materials design in a variety of applications, including novel bio-inspired wet adhesives, targeted anti-fouling surfaces, and tissue engineering scaffolds for regeneration of hard-soft interfaces. The overall goal of my research program is to discover new design principles from the study of composite biological systems, and to apply these principles in the development of bio-inspired materials and surfaces. The first part of the grant is in the area of bioadhesion. Objective 1 will determine which proteins form the glue that allows freshwater mussels (zebra and quagga musssels) to attach to surfaces underwater. While the adhesion of marine mussel species has been extensively studied, much less is understood about the mechanisms of adhesion in freshwater mussels, whose proteins we have shown to be very different, suggesting a different mechanism of adhesion. This knowledge will be critical in developing a targeted strategy to control biofouling of invasive freshwater mussel species in the Great Lakes that will replace current non-specific controls (Objective 2), and in the long term will serve as framework for novel freshwater mussel-inspired bioadhesives. Objective 3, in the area of biomineralization, will focus on the design of multiphasic biomimetic scaffolds incorporating mineralized and non-mineralized collagen for the restoration of hard-soft tissue interfaces, which pose unique challenges for regeneration. Through the application of advanced characterization techniques combined with novel synthetic strategies, this program will contribute to the fundamental understanding of protein-surface and protein-mineral interactions, and will develop bio-inspired materials and surfaces with applications in biofouling, bioadhesion, and tissue engineering. The trainees who will work on these projects will develop unique multidisciplinary skills and insight into composite biological and bio-inspired materials.