Work

Amyloids as Building Blocks for Macroscopic Functional Materials: Designs, Applications and Challenges

Year: 2021

Type: review

Abstract: Amyloids are self-assembled protein aggregates that take cross-β fibrillar morphology. Although some amyloid proteins are best known for their association with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, many other amyloids are found across diverse organisms, from bacteria to humans, and they play vital functional roles. The rigidity, chemical stability, high aspect ratio, and sequence programmability of amyloid fibrils have made them attractive candidates for functional materials with applications in environmental sciences, material engineering, and translational medicines. This review focuses on recent advances in fabricating various types of macroscopic functional amyloid materials. We discuss different design strategies for the fabrication of amyloid hydrogels, high-strength materials, composite materials, responsive materials, extracellular matrix mimics, conductive materials, and catalytic materials.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910698

Authors: Jingyao Li, Fuzhong Zhang

Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Language: English

Topic: Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,160

Funders: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Naval Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences