Abstract
Networks of natural protein nanofibrils, such as cytoskeletal filaments, control the shape and the division of cells, yet mimicking this functionality in a synthetic setting has proved challenging. Here, we demonstrate that artificial networks of protein nanofibrils can induce controlled deformation and division of all-aqueous emulsion droplets with budding-like morphologies. We show that this process is driven by the difference in the immersional wetting energy of the nanofibril network, and that both the size and the number of the daughter droplets formed during division can be controlled by modulating the fibril concentration and the chemical properties of the fibril network. Our results demonstrate a route for achieving biomimetic division with synthetic self-assembling fibrils and offer an engineered approach to regulate the morphology of protein gels.
Highlights
Networks of natural protein nanofibrils, such as cytoskeletal filaments, control the shape and the division of cells, yet mimicking this functionality in a synthetic setting has proved challenging
We demonstrate that the addition of protein nanofibrils to all-aqueous emulsions can induce the division of the w/w emulsion droplets and that the concentration of fibrils controls the division regimes of budding droplets
Protein nanofibrils were synthesized by polymerizing lysozyme monomers at 65 °C under acidic conditions[26]
Summary
Networks of natural protein nanofibrils, such as cytoskeletal filaments, control the shape and the division of cells, yet mimicking this functionality in a synthetic setting has proved challenging. The formation of buds was strongly dependent on the presence of nanofibrils in the dextran-rich droplet phase: no protrusions were observed under the same conditions of osmotic pressure and w/w interfacial tension without loading a sufficient amount of fibrils into the droplet phase (Fig. 1c, d).
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