The team used water-based fabrication methods inspired by protein self-assembly to produce 3D bulk materials from silk fibroin. Fibroin, the structural protein that gives silk its durability, was chosen because it allowed for the easiest manipulation of the resulting substance’s form, as well as smoother modification of function. It’s also completely biodegradable.
The silk fibroin bulk materials were treated with water-soluble molecules at the nano-, micro-, and macro-scale to give both form and function to the target object. Simply put, the unique material is programmable. When faced with conditions like a certain temperature or exposure to certain rays, the coded task is set to activate.
Extracted from: https://futurism.com/biotech-breakthrough-engineers-made-a-new-material-that-can-be-programmed/
