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3D Printing of Silk Protein Structures by Aqueous Solvent‐Directed Molecular Assembly
Author(s) -
Mu Xuan,
Wang Yu,
Guo Chengchen,
Li Yamin,
Ling Shengjie,
Huang Wenwen,
Cebe Peggy,
Hsu HuanHsuan,
De Ferrari Fabio,
Jiang Xiaocheng,
Xu Qiaobing,
Balduini Alessandra,
Omenetto Fiorenzo G.,
Kaplan David L.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.201900191
Subject(s) - fibroin , 3d printing , nanotechnology , biocompatibility , microfluidics , materials science , silk , drug delivery , aqueous solution , computer science , chemistry , metallurgy , composite material
Hierarchical molecular assembly is a fundamental strategy for manufacturing protein structures in nature. However, to translate this natural strategy into advanced digital manufacturing like three‐dimensional (3D) printing remains a technical challenge. This work presents a 3D printing technique with silk fibroin to address this challenge, by rationally designing an aqueous salt bath capable of directing the hierarchical assembly of the protein molecules. This technique, conducted under aqueous and ambient conditions, results in 3D proteinaceous architectures characterized by intrinsic biocompatibility/biodegradability and robust mechanical features. The versatility of this method is shown in a diversity of 3D shapes and a range of functional components integrated into the 3D prints. The manufacturing capability is exemplified by the single‐step construction of perfusable microfluidic chips which eliminates the use of supporting or sacrificial materials. The 3D shaping capability of the protein material can benefit a multitude of biomedical devices, from drug delivery to surgical implants to tissue scaffolds. This work also provides insights into the recapitulation of solvent‐directed hierarchical molecular assembly for artificial manufacturing.