Producing Biomaterials (Microbes as Machines)

[[Media:Spring2015_Biomaterials_Pre-Discussion_Questions.pdf|Download Pre-Discussion Questions (PDF)]]
The fibre spun with the native-sized recombinant spider silk protein showed similar mechanical properties to native spider silk, thus opening the possibility of its wide range of industrial and biomedical applications. Xia2010.

= Required Reading/Viewing =

// Production of spider silk in E. coli. // Shows the largest piece of spider silk textile in the world and talks about 'spider goats'.
 * 1) Xia2010 pmid=20660779
 * 1) Nova2011 Nova's ‘Making Stuff’ Explores Spinning of Steel-Strength Spider Silk (5 min)

= Assigned Papers =

// Mussel adhesion proteins on 'E. coli' // Self-healing concrete // Bioplastics
 * 1) Zhong2014 pmid=25240674
 * 1) Dhami2013 pmid=24194735
 * 1) Madison1999 pmid=10066830