Biomaterials inspired by Cellulose nano crystals (CNC) and Resilin

Cellulose and Resilin are both biopolymeric materials displaying remarkable mechanical properties and both may be produced by environmentally friendly manners. This project will explore bio-composites based on these materials.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) can be extracted by acid hydrolysis of cellulose, resulting in nano-scale rods (approx. 200X5nm), displaying high mechanical strength. Additionally, highly stable aqueous suspensions of CNC may be formed due to the negative surface , facilitating the incorporation of various particles with CNC. CNC may also form thin, flexible films by evaporation of aqueous suspensions.

Resilin is an elastomeric protein found in the cuticle of most insects. It exhibits high resilience and fatigue resistance which insects utilize for motions such as flight and leaping. In nature resilin in secreted throughout the insects’ cuticula, comprised of the polysaccharide chitin, and is enzymatically crosslinked to form a composite material that expresses the mechanical strength of the polysaccharide and the elastic properties of the protein. Continuing the groups’ previous work, a recombinant resilin-like protein, fused to a cellulose-binding domain (RES-CBD), has been successfully expressed and purified.

This project will aim to enhance the properties of cellulose-based materials. The cellulose-binding domain (CBD) acts as a mediator between the elasticity of Resilin and the mechanical strength of nanocellulose, mimicking the natural behavior and mechanisms of the protein, to generate novel nanocomposite materials with impressive and tunable mechanical properties. This relationship and the properties of CNC and other cellulosed-based materials may be applied to produce strong, thin, transparent films, with superior mechanical and optical properties.