Toward Tunable Protein-Driven Hydrogel Lens

Maria Kaeek, Luai R. Khoury

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Despite the significant progress in protein-based materials, creating a tunable protein-activated hydrogel lens remains an elusive goal. This study leverages the synergistic relationship between protein structural dynamics and polymer hydrogel engineering to introduce a highly transparent protein–polymer actuator. By incorporating bovine serum albumin into polyethyleneglycol diacrylate hydrogels, the authors achieved enhanced light transmittance and conferred actuating capabilities to the hydrogel. Taking advantage of these features, a bilayer protein-driven hydrogel lens that dynamically modifies its focal length in response to pH changes, mimicking the adaptability of the human lens, is fabricated. The lens demonstrates durability and reproducibility, highlighting its potential for repetitive applications. This integration of protein-diverse biochemistry, folding nanomechanics, and polymer engineering opens up new avenues for harnessing the wide range of proteins to potentially propel various fields such as diagnostics, lab-on-chip, and deep-tissue bio-optics, advancing the understanding of incorporating biomaterials in the optical field.

Original languageAmerican English
Article number2306862
JournalAdvanced Science
Volume10
Issue number36
DOIs
StatePublished - 27 Dec 2023

Keywords

  • biomaterials
  • optic-biomaterials
  • protein nanomechanics
  • protein-based materials
  • protein-driven actuators

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Engineering
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous)
  • General Materials Science
  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • Medicine (miscellaneous)

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