Abstract

A major goal in materials science is to develop bioinspired functional materials based on the precise control of molecular building blocks across length scales. Here we report a protein-mediated mineralization process that takes advantage of disorder–order interplay using elastin-like recombinamers to program organic–inorganic interactions into hierarchically ordered mineralized structures. The materials comprise elongated apatite nanocrystals that are aligned and organized into microscopic prisms, which grow together into spherulite-like structures hundreds of micrometers in diameter that come together to fill macroscopic areas. The structures can be grown over large uneven surfaces and native tissues as acid-resistant membranes or coatings with tuneable hierarchy, stiffness, and hardness. Our study represents a potential strategy for complex materials design that may open opportunities for hard tissue repair and provide insights into the role of molecular disorder in human physiology and pathology.

Details

Title
Protein disorder–order interplay to guide the growth of hierarchical mineralized structures
Author
Elsharkawy, Sherif 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Jawad, Maisoon 2 ; Pantano, Maria F 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Tejeda-Montes, Esther 4 ; Mehta, Khushbu 4 ; Hasan, Jamal 4 ; Agarwal, Shweta 5 ; Shuturminska, Kseniya 6 ; Rice, Alistair 7 ; Tarakina, Nadezda V 4 ; Wilson, Rory M 8 ; Bushby, Andy J 8 ; Alonso, Matilde 9 ; Rodriguez-Cabello, Jose C 9 ; Barbieri, Ettore 10   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Armando del Río Hernández 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Stevens, Molly M 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pugno, Nicola M 11 ; Anderson, Paul 6 ; Mata, Alvaro 12 

 Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK 
 Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Materials Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK 
 Laboratory of Bio-Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy 
 School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK 
 Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK 
 Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Institute of Dentistry, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK 
 Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK 
 School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Materials Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK 
 G.I.R. Bioforge, University of Valladolid, CIBER-BBN, Valladolid, Spain 
10  School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Department of Mathematical Science and Advanced Technology, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa, Japan 
11  School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Laboratory of Bio-Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; Ket-Lab, Edoardo Amaldi Foundation, Italian Space Agency, Via del Politecnico snc, Rome, Italy 
12  Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK 
Pages
1-12
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Jun 2018
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2048610204
Copyright
© 2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.