This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Delaware is to develop new collagen-domain-containing, elastomeric multiblock copolymers that will be capable of multiple orders of assembly triggered by environmental cues such as temperature, pH, and metal ion concentration. The development of materials functionalized with peptide and polypeptide domains offers important opportunities for detailed control of the assembly, responsiveness, and function of hybrid materials. Accordingly, a variety of polypeptides comprising the putative repeat sequences of natural structural proteins have been produced with useful applications in nanotechnology and medicine. This research project is to identify new sequences and strategies for the bacterial expression of functional collagen polypeptides, as well as their recombinant incorporation into elastin-collagen-elastin triblock copolypeptides. The main objectives of this project are: a) Recombinant expression of new hydrophilic collagen-like polypeptides and characterization of their triple-helix formation; b) Production of stimuli-responsive triblock and multiblock copolymers comprising thermally responsive elastin-like domains and collagen-like domains; and c) Characterization and elaboration of the materials after their assembly.
Basic understanding of the programmed sequential assembly, functionalized with peptide and polypeptide domains, will offer unprecedented opportunities to produce materials with desired assembled structures and subsequent control over the presentation of biologically, electrically, and optically active moieties. Elaboration of these structures with organic and inorganic groups will offer materials that can function as adhesives, tough wound healing materials, cell-adherent tissue scaffolds, and optically active layers in devices. The proposed academic programs include teaching and training of students from underrepresented groups including women in the proposed research activities. ?The Science of Art?, an outreach program as part of this award, will present the science of materials and their properties at art classes to students at secondary level and engage them in scientific concepts in an environment outside of that in which science learning normally occurs.
