Nanocapsules produced by nanoprecipitation of designed suckerin-silk fusion proteins

• Main Authors: Ramos, Ricardo, Koh, Kenrick, Gabryelczyk, Bartosz, Chai, Luxiao, Kanagavel, Deepankumar, Yan, Xibo, Ganachaud, François, Miserez, Ali, Bernard, Julien
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials; Spider Silk; Nanocarriers
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159959
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Herein, we report on the precise design of a modular fusion protein amenable to the construction of nanocapsules by nanoprecipitation. The central squid suckerin-derived peptide block provides structural stability, whereas both termini from spider silk fibroins make the protein highly soluble at physiological pH, a critical requirement for the nanoprecipitation process. With this design, nanocapsules consisting of fusion protein shells and oily cores with sizes in the range of 190-250 nm are built in a straightforward manner.