(14g) Tuning the Gelation Temperature of Resilin-Based Proteins Designed for Tissue Engineering Applications

We developed protein-based biomaterials that include a repetitive resilin sequence adapted from A. Gambiae (mosquito).  These resilin-based proteins were cytocompatible and displayed an inverse transition temperature.  Both dynamic light scattering and UV-vis studies demonstrated that the resilin-based proteins aggregated above a lower critical solution temperature (LCST).  Rheological measurements confirmed that the resilin-based proteins formed a gel when the proteins were heated above the LCST.  We demonstrated that the LCST of resilin-based proteins could be modulated by changing the protein length or concentration.  We also characterized the reversibility of the aggregation phenomenon and found that the kinetics varied based on construct length and design.  These studies provide insight into the design parameters needed to achieve a desired aggregation temperature.  Future studies will examine the use of these resilin-based biomaterials as an injectable material that gels at body temperature or as a gentle method for cell encapsulation without the need for a chemical crosslinker.