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Materials science

Protein gels on the move

Nature volume 454, pages 705–706 (2008)Cite this article

Light-induced reactions enable three-dimensional objects to be built from simple compounds. Proteins have been added to the list of building blocks, and the resulting gels move in response to environmental cues.

The ancient Egyptians were arguably among the first photochemists, because they used light-induced reactions as part of their mummification process. They wrapped bodies in linens that had been dipped in a substance called bitumen of Judea. On exposure to sunlight, the molecules in the bitumen reacted to form crosslinks with each other, yielding a hard, protective coating that preserved the mummy for centuries1. Variations of this crude polymerization process are still in use today. Latter-day scientists can choose from thousands of different light-reactive monomers, and use sophisticated laser techniques to turn them into polymers that have diverse applications — for forming printing plates for newspapers, for example, or for dental restoration.

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Figure 1: Dynamic microchambers for cell culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. April M. Kloxin and Kristi S. Anseth are in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0424, USA. april.kloxin@colorado.edu; kristi.anseth@colorado.edu,

    April M. Kloxin & Kristi S. Anseth

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  1. April M. Kloxin
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  2. Kristi S. Anseth
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Kloxin, A., Anseth, K. Protein gels on the move. Nature 454, 705–706 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/454705a

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