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Due to its biocompatibility, slow biodegradability, high strength, and low weight, there has been a recent surge in the use of silk as a biomaterial for tissue engineering. Particularly, because of the robust mechanical properties of silk (high strength and elasticity,) it has proven to be exceptionally successful for bone, cartilage, and ligament tissue engineering. Unfortunately, however, usage has been limited to silkworm silk. Spider silk fibers have much more impressive mechanical properties, but have so far evaded mass cultivation or artificial production. Several recombinant spider silk proteins exist, but no one, to date, has been able to recreate spider silk fibers with the same exceptional mechanical properties as those produced naturally. To this end, we are developing a microfluidic device that mimics the advanced functionality of the spider silk gland.
Further Reading:
- Breslauer DN, Lee LP, Muller SJ. "Simulation of Flow in the Silk Gland." Biomacromolecules 2009 Jan;10(1):49-57.
- Vollrath F, Knight DP. "Liquid crystalline spinning of spider silk." Nature. 2001 Mar 29;410(6828):541-8.
- Kluge JA, Rabotyagova O, Leisk GG, Kaplan DL. "Spider silks and their applications." Trends Biotechnol. 2008 May;26(5):244-51.
- Altman GH, Diaz F, Jakuba C, Calabro T, Horan RL, Chen J, Lu H, Richmond J, Kaplan DL. "Silk-based biomaterials." Biomaterials. 2003 Feb;24(3):401-16.
Funding:
This research was partially supported by an NDSEG Graduate Fellowship, University of California Systemwide Biotechnology Research & Education Program GREAT Training Grant 2008-02, National Science Foundation Grant #EEC-0425914, and the Micro/Nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus (MF3) Center under the DARPA N/MEMS Science & Technology Fundamentals Program.
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Dissected Araneous major ampullate silk gland.
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