Biological Response Of Spider Silk Protein Materials
Thomas Martinez-Servantez, Christina Skinner and Patrick A. Johnson, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3295, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071

Spider silk has garnered significant interest as a potential biomaterial due to its unique material properties of high strength, elasticity, and biocompatibility. In these studies we compared the biological response of native and recombinant spider silk proteins. Natural dragline spider silk was extracted from the major ampullate gland of N. clavipes. Recombinant spider silk proteins were derived from bacterial and goats' milk expression systems, purified and cast into thin films. The films resistance to the adsorption of fibrinogen and albumin was determined by mass sensitive techniques (QCM-D). The cellular response of the films was determined through cell adhesion, cell attachment and cell proliferation studies. In order to promote cell attachment and cell growth, the films were modified with cell binding peptides.

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The Preliminary Program for 2007 Annual Meeting