Protein crystals are versatile nanostructured materials that can be readily engineered for applications in nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology. Despite their versatility, the minute size of individual protein crystals presents challenges for macroscale applications. One way to overcome this limitation is by immobilizing protein crystals onto larger substrates. Cotton is composed primarily of cellulose, the most common natural fiber in the world, and is routinely used in numerous material applications including textiles, explosives, paper, and bookbinding. Here, two types of protein crystals (hen egg white lysozyme and a porous crystal composed of an isoprenoid binding protein from <i>C. jejuni</i>) were conjugated to the cellulosic substrate of cotton fabric using a 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole/aldehyde mediated coupling protocol. The efficacy of this attachment was assessed via accelerated laundering and quantified by fluorescence imaging. The ability to load guest molecules of varying sizes into the scaffold structure of the conjugated protein crystals was also assessed. This work demonstrates the potential to create multifunctional textiles by incorporating diverse protein crystal scaffolds which can be infused with a multiplicity of useful guest molecules.

Textile functionalization by porous protein crystal conjugation and guest molecule loading

2019 Spring National Meeting

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