Protein disorder-order interplay to guide the growth of hierarchical mineralized structures Articles uri icon

authors

  • Elsharkawy, S.
  • Al-Jawad, M.
  • Pantano, M.F.
  • Tejeda-Montes, E.
  • Mehta, K.
  • Jamal, H.
  • Agarwal, S.
  • Shuturminska, K.
  • Rice, A.
  • Tarakina, N.V.
  • Wilson, R.M.
  • Bushby, A.J.
  • Alonso, M.
  • Rodriguez-Cabello, J.C.
  • Barbieri, E.
  • RIO HERNANDEZ, ARMANDO EMETERIO DEL
  • Stevens, M.M.
  • Pugno, N.M.
  • Anderson, P.
  • Mata, A.

publication date

  • June 2018

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 12

volume

  • 9

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2041-1723

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.

subjects

  • Biology and Biomedicine
  • Materials science and engineering

keywords

  • bioinspired materials; biomimetic synthesis; biomineralization