Drosophila Protein And Functional Protein Are Woven Into Natural Fibers.

Researchers from Rice University and Texas agricultural and Industrial University have inserted genes into fusion.

Catherine Matthew, a biochemistry laboratory at Rice University, and Sarah Bondos, an associate professor of Texas Agricultural University, studied the recombinant double pcription factor (Ubx), a recombinant pcription factor protein that regulates the development of wings and legs in Drosophila melanogaster.

They used gene fusion technology to combine Ubx with fluorescent and cold light proteins to form chimeras, and then put the chimera into fiber. Under microscope, it was found that Ubx combined with enhanced green fluorescent protein showed bright green, and red fluorescent protein and brown protein myosin binding bright red and brown, respectively, and red luciferase were combined with luciferase.

These functional proteins retain their respective functions in chimeras.

The chimera of biological meaning contains more than two different genes, such as the whole grafting of plants, and at the molecular level, chimera is a single molecule polypeptide polymerized by different proteins.

The main author of this paper, Huang Zhao, of Rice University, has twisted all kinds of proteins into a set of chimeras, and woven them into various patterns or tied them to a frame.

The physical and chemical processes of making solid materials with functional proteins usually damage protein activity, and the three-dimensional structures we generate are active.

This technology is simple and unique, and does not require special equipment. "

Huang Zhao explains.

The research group published a paper in the 2009 issue of "biological macromolecule", and said it developed a "super" material, a super strong and highly elastic natural fiber.

"We were able to create three-dimensional bodies.

On this basis, small rods and chips can now be produced, and they can be combined together.

Anything that can be produced by assembling toys can be made by Ubx. "

Bondos said.

Ubx based biomaterials are comparable to natural elastin, which forms skin and other soft tissues. The mechanical properties of such chimeric fibers can also be adjusted by changing their diameters.

The functionalized Ubx can generate three dimensional organs one after another.

"We can build shapes like the heart, and we can set up instructions inside the materials to differentiate cells into muscles, nerves, blood vessels or other tissues."

Matthew pointed out that chimeric multiple functional proteins

The use of natural fibers can be regarded as one of the earliest science and technology of mankind - the history of Chinese spinning of silkworms can be traced back to the Neolithic age.

But until today, the natural fiber that man has been beating up for thousands of years is still making a unique business of textile materials. The reason is that losing its activity is a big sticking point.

Today's Ubx, not only "super strong, high elasticity", can be chimed with a large number of functional proteins, the most critical is that it is also active.

These qualities make it promising, especially for new changes in tissue engineering.

Later, if you are a soft heart or a hard skeleton, Ubx chimera will probably be arranged by a "line".