Anna Florczak

Publications of Anna Florczak

• [Engineered spider silk: the intelligent biomaterial of the future. Part I].

  Authors: Anna Florczak, Konrad Piekoś, Katarzyna Kaźmierska, Andrzej Mackiewicz, Hanna Dams-Kozłowska

  Postȩpy higieny i medycyny doświadczalnej (Online). 01/2011; 65:377-88.

  The unique properties of spider silk such as strength, extensibility, toughness, biocompatibility and biodegradability are the reasons for the recent development in silk biomaterial technology. For aThe unique properties of spider silk such as strength, extensibility, toughness, biocompatibility and biodegradability are the reasons for the recent development in silk biomaterial technology. For a long time scientific progress was impeded by limited access to spider silk. However, the development of the molecular biology strategy was a breaking point in synthetic spider silk protein design. The sequences of engineered spider silk are based on the consensus motives of the corresponding natural equivalents. Moreover, the engineered silk proteins may be modified in order to gain a new function. The strategy of the hybrid proteins constructed on the DNA level combines the sequence of engineered silk, which is responsible for the biomaterial structure, with the sequence of polypeptide which allows functionalization of the silk biomaterial. The functional domains may comprise receptor binding sites, enzymes, metal or sugar binding sites and others. Currently, advanced research is being conducted, which on the one hand focuses on establishing the particular silk structure and understanding the process of silk thread formation in nature. On the other hand, there are attempts to improve methods of engineered spider silk protein production. Due to acquired knowledge and recent progress in synthetic protein technology, the engineered silk will turn into intelligent biomaterial of the future, while its industrial production scale will trigger a biotechnological revolution.

• [Engineered spider silk: the intelligent biomaterial of the future. Part II].

  Authors: Katarzyna Kaźmierska, Anna Florczak, Konrad Piekoś, Andrzej Mackiewicz, Hanna Dams-Kozłowska

  Postȩpy higieny i medycyny doświadczalnej (Online). 01/2011; 65:389-96.

  The development and progress in engineered spider silk manufacturing has enabled its practical application. Recombinant spider silk can assemble in several morphological forms such as films,The development and progress in engineered spider silk manufacturing has enabled its practical application. Recombinant spider silk can assemble in several morphological forms such as films, hydrogels, fibers, scaffolds, microcapsules, and micro- and nanospheres. The in vitro fiber formation takes place by mimicking the natural spinning process in the spider spinning gland: in the presence of phosphate ions and dragging forces. Films are obtained by evaporation of solvent from the silk solution, while the result of evaporation of the solvent in the presence of porogens is a silk scaffold. Hydrogels are formed by spontaneous polymerization of silk particles in solutions at low pH. The silk film assembled at the interface of two immiscible phases forms microcapsules. The smallest of the described forms--silk spheres--are obtained by salting out the silk protein solution after addition of the phosphate ions. Common properties of the silk biomaterials are biocompatibility and biodegradability, which make them suitable for a number of applications in medicine and pharmacy. Moreover, the strategy of hybrid proteins which provides the desired function to biomaterial will further expand their potential use.