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Protein Mechanics of Artificial Elastomeric Proteins: From Single Molecule to Biomaterials
Elastomeric proteins underlie the elasticity of natural adhesives, cell adhesion and muscle proteins. Single molecule force spectroscopy has made it possible to directly probe the mechanical properties of elastomeric proteins at the single molecule level. Combining single molecule force spectroscopy and protein engineering techniques, researchers have started to understand the molecular design principles of elastomeric proteins and use such knowledge to engineer novel elastomeric proteins of tailored nanomechanical properties. In this presentation, I will summarize our recent experimental efforts to engineer novel artificial elastomeric proteins and develop general and rational methodologies to tune the nanomechanical properties of elastomeric proteins at the single-molecule level. I will also discuss how we can use the knowledge we learned from single molecule AFM studies to design artificial elastomeric proteins as building blocks for the construction of novel protein-based biomaterials. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of rationally tailoring mechanical properties of elastomeric protein-based materials by programming the molecular sequence, and thus nanomechanical properties, of elastomeric proteins at the single-molecule level. These efforts will help bridge the gap between single protein mechanics and material biomechanics, revealing how the mechanical properties of individual elastomeric proteins are translated into macroscopic materials properties. |
Hongbin Li
University of British Columbia |