On the Routines of Wild‐Type Silk Fibroin Processing Toward Silk‐Inspired Materials: A Review. Issue 12 (27th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Volkov, Vadim; Ferreira, Ana V.; Cavaco‐Paulo, Artur
• Is Part Of: Macromolecular materials and engineering. Volume 300:Issue 12(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 1199
• Page End: 1216
• Publication Date: 2015-08-27
• Subjects: biomaterials -- improved properties -- modification -- silk fibroin; Plastics -- Periodicals; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1002/mame.201500179
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1438-7492

Abstract

Abstract : For years, silk fibroin of a domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori, has been recognized as a valuable material and extensively used. In the last decades, new application fields are emerging for this versatile material. Those final, specific applications of silk dictate the way it has been processed in industry and research. This review focuses on the description of various approaches for silk downstream processing in a laboratory scale, that fall within several categories. The detailed description of workflow possibilities from the naturally found material to a finally formulated product is presented. Considerable attention is given to (bio‐) chemical approaches of silk fibroin transformation, particularly, to its enzyme‐driven modifications. The focus of the current literature survey is exclusively on the methods applied in research and not industry. Abstract : A vast piece of literature, describing various methods for silk fibroin lab‐scale processing, is currently found. For this reason different reviews, based on several grouping strategies (i.e., silk‐based hydrogels, silk‐derived devices for controlled release, etc.) exist. The purpose of the present survey is to unite a variety of physical, chemical, and enzymatic approaches of fibroin processing, regardless of their final product destination.