Artificial muscles from natural proteins. Free Technical Library News

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Artificial muscles from natural proteins

15.02.2022

A group of researchers from the University of Freiburg have succeeded in developing artificial muscles that use the body's natural processes. Scientists have demonstrated an autonomous flexor muscle that moves by consuming chemical fuel, similar to its counterparts in humans or animals.

Our artificial muscle is still a prototype. However, the high biocompatibility of the material and the ability to adjust its composition to suit specific tissues and technological applications could pave the way for future applications in reconstructive medicine, prosthetics, pharmaceuticals or soft robotics, says Steven Schiller.

In the past, scientists have used natural proteins to build artificial muscle systems by embedding them into tiny molecular machines or polymers. However, they failed to develop completely biological synthetic muscles.

The natural protein used by the Freiburg team is based on a natural fibrous protein called elastin. Researchers have developed two synthetic elastin-like proteins, one of which responds to fluctuations in the acidity of the environment, and the other to changes in temperature.

The scientists combined the two proteins using photochemical cross-linking to form a layered material that can be easily shaped to direct its movement. They then managed to induce rhythmic contractions using a chemical fuel source, sodium sulfite. In an oscillatory chemical reaction, in which the acidity changes in cycles due to the special relationship of several reactions, the added energy was converted into mechanical energy.

Thus, the researchers made the material cyclically shrink autonomously. They could also turn contractions on and off by changing the temperature. In this case, it was possible to program certain states of the material, and reset them again with another stimulus. Thus, scientists have created a simple system for the implementation of "learning and forgetting" at the material level.

Because it is derived from the naturally occurring protein elastin and produced through biotechnological means, our material is highly resistant, which is also relevant for technical applications, Schiller explains.
In the future, the material may be modified to respond to other stimuli such as electricity, environmental salt concentration, and to consume other energy sources such as biomass. We are in a position where we can develop protein material concepts that mimic complex biological functions, even in relation to memory and learning, Schiller concluded.

In the future, scientists envision creating protein materials that use ATP, the "currency" exchanged between cells, to enable new approaches in biomedical applications such as tissue regeneration and a new generation of nanotechnological robots to deliver drugs to human organs.

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