Silk Nanowires in Medicine
February 6, 2018 | Terry Sharrer

Silk Threads Created by New Process
Synthetic silk generally has not been used in medical applications because of its chemical residues. Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, however, have developed a process that eliminates those residues. Quoting directly, “Silk protein droplets are placed on a hydrophobic surface composed of micro-sized silicon pillars. Nanowires are formed by dragging the material over the pillars, leaving strands of silk in the droplet’s trail. Leaving a droplet to evaporate on top of the surface results in sheet formation. Two types of silk proteins were designed–one with an affinity to antibodies and another with cell binding properties.” MORE WITH VIDEO
Image Credit: KTH Royal Institute of Technology