Protein fibrils as alternative plastics?(). These building blocks can be broadly ...)

Date:5/28/2008

). These building blocks can be broadly varied by means of simple molecular biological techniques. Surfaces could be given tailored and biocompatible coatings, for example, in analytical flow devices for medical technology or bioanalysis. Other ideas include amyloid hydrogels for the encapsulation and controlled release of drugs and for scaffolds for three-dimensional cell cultures and tissue engineering. Functional proteins such as enzymes could be bound to amyloid-forming sequences to mimic biological processes.

Amyloid fibrils are also suitable as matrices for nanostructures. For example, it has been possible to produce a conducting nanoscale coaxial cable by filling amyloid nanotubes with sliver and externally coating them with gold.

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Contact: Ehud Gazit ehudg@post.tau.ac.il 972-364-09030 Wiley-Blackwell Source:Eurekalert

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