Botanical Biomaterials: Sustainable Hydrogel Biomaterials from Plant Proteins

There is a current and urgent need to seek more affordable and low-cost manufacturing routes for the production of biomaterials. Plant derived biomaterials constructed from proteins offer an exciting avenue to address the growing need for sustainable biocompatible and biodegradable materials. This growing area is providing a route for manufacturing living materials from inexpensive and easily accessible resources. The thermal-induced gelation of plant proteins is well established6. An alternative, but as yet relatively unexplored, route is to retain the folded functionality of the protein and trigger gelation through photoactivated chemical cross-linking. In a new project at Leeds we are exploring the physics of gelation of plant proteins. In this proposal we will study the formulation, function and mechanics (at Leeds) and structure (using SANS) of plant-derived protein in the construction of folded protein hydrogels, using extracted from wheat gluten. We propose to use SANS on the instrument LOQ to characterise the structure of our gluten hydrogels. This insight into the structure of gluten extract hydrogels will be used in conjunction with our biophysical and rheological studies at Leeds, to provide us with a cross-length understanding of gluten biomaterials. This will illuminate a new avenue in the development of novel, sustainable and ethical biomaterials.