Building block aspect ratio controls assembly, architecture, and mechanics of synthetic and natural protein networks - dataset

Fibrous networks constructed from high aspect ratio protein building blocks are ubiquitous in nature. Despite this ubiquity the functional advantage of such building blocks over globular proteins is not understood. To answer this question, we produced hydrogel network building blocks with varying numbers of protein L domains to control the aspect ratio. Using, shear rheology and small angle neutron scattering to characterise the mechanical and structural properties of photochemically crosslinked protein L networks. Here, we show that aspect ratio is a crucial property that defines network architecture and mechanics, by shifting the formation from translationally diffusion dominated to rotationally diffusion dominated. The functional advantages of this are increased mechanical strength and the rapid assembly of homogenous networks above a critical protein concentration, crucial for in vivo biological processes such as blood clotting. In addition, manipulating aspect ratio also provides a parameter in the design of future bio-mimetic and bio-inspired materials.