Since electrospun fibers have considerable potential in realizing some of the advantages of nanostructured materials, the fibers can be made from biocompatible and biodegradable polymers. Therefore, electrospun nanofibers have attracted interest in the fields of biotechnology and medicine. Creative BioMart utilizes natural proteins and synthetic peptides through protein engineering to create biocompatible, bioactive, and biodegradable nanofibers that can be used to promote tissue regeneration, wound healing, and controlled drug delivery. Our scientists are committed to providing fully customized protein-based nanofibers solutions to customers around the world.

Introduction of Protein-Based Nanofibers

Research in polymer electrospinning includes the use of natural proteins, synthetic peptides, and mixtures of these polymers with synthetic organic polymers. The structural and functional properties of peptides and proteins have led researchers to be interested in developing biomaterials composed of proteins and peptides. In addition, fibrous materials have attracted extensive attention in the field of biomedical engineering due to their surface area-to-volume ratio, high mechanical strength, porosity, potential for surface modification, and tunability. Therefore, protein fibers can be considered as the building blocks of living organisms, enabling scaffolding, stabilization, protection, elasticity, and mobility on length scales ranging from nanometers to meters. The structural and functional properties of fibrin are also increasingly used to enhance the performance of synthetic biomaterials. The current application of protein-based fibers in tissue engineering and nanomedicine has medical and commercial appeal. In the field of tissue engineering, protein-based nanofibers have been used to create biomimetic nanostructures that allow cell attachment, migration, and proliferation for tissue regeneration, wound healing, and controlled drug delivery.

Fig 1. Protein-based nanofibers can be made from a variety of sources. (DeFrates K G, et al., 2018)

Solutions 

In biomaterial engineering, the biocompatibility and biodegradability of materials are very important. Therefore, in order to maximize these properties, people began to develop natural polymer-based fibers made from proteins. Creative BioMart utilizes a variety of natural proteins to produce nanofibers with biocompatible, bioactive and biodegradable nanofibers. Additionally, our protein engineers blend proteins with other natural and synthetic polymers to develop versatile materials with modifiable degradation and physical properties. In order to provide customized high-quality protein nanofibers to global customers, we have selected the following proteins to provide nanofiber solutions, including but not limited to:

• Elastin-based nanofibers
  Elastin is widely popular due to its large size and the ability to complete molecular assembly outside the cell. The addition of elastin to nanofibrous scaffolds by our protein engineers increases fiber elasticity and provides better cell attachment for vascular stents and vascular grafts.
• Collagen-based nanofibers
  Collagen is very attractive for biomaterial development due to its natural abundance. Collagen nanofibers synthesized by our protein engineers are widely used for regeneration of bone, cartilage, blood vessels, ligaments, skin, muscles and nerves.
• Silk-based nanofibers
  Silk fibroin extracted from Bombyx mori is one of the most commonly used biomaterials due to its availability and low cost. Our prepared silk-based nanofibers have good biocompatibility, bioactivity, biodegradability, tunability, mechanical stability, and low immunogenicity, which can be used to fabricate tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Keratin-based nanofibers
  The presence of cell-binding motifs on keratin and its ability to self-assemble make it an ideal natural polymer. We combine keratin with other natural or synthetic polymers to form composite nanobiomaterials for tissue regeneration.
• Zein-based nanofibers
  Zein has been widely used in biomedical engineering due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. We add synthetic or natural polymers to zein to form nanofibers to create successful tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Soy protein based nanofibers
  The spherical structure of soy protein makes it less prone to hydrolysis and is very stable, so it has a long shelf life. In addition, soy protein is biodegradable and can be obtained from abundant renewable resources. Our protein engineers surface-modify soy protein and blend it with other polymers to create nanofibers for skin regeneration and wound healin.

Advantages of Protein-Based Nanofibers

• Many proteins, such as silk, soy and corn zein, are very rich and easy to isolate.
• Degradation of protein-based biomaterials results in the production of amino acids that pose no risk of toxicity and can be reabsorbed by the body.
• In the fields of drug delivery and nanomedicine, protein-based nanofibers may have the ability to store drugs and biomolecules without threatening their biological activity.
• Controlled degradation of protein-based nanofibers through cross-linking or post-manufacturing modification allows controlled release of drugs without added toxicity by material by-products during manufacturing.
• The biodegradable properties of protein fiber materials also support green and sustainable engineering efforts. Such applications reduce the reliance on petroleum-based polymers and avoid contamination issues caused by the disposal of materials and their by-products.

Creative BioMart has in-depth knowledge and experience of the tools and processes involved in nanofibers development, and provides professional protein-based nanofibers solutions for the customers. Whether your protein-based nanofibers are in the discovery stages, or are planning engineered protein-based nanofibers production, please contact us to discuss further details to ensure your next success.

Reference

1. DeFrates K G, Moore R, Borgesi J, et al.. (2018) Protein-based fiber materials in medicine: A review[J]. Nanomaterials. 8(7): 457.

• Protein-Based Nanoparticles
• Protein-Based Nanotubes