IMAGES: GETTY; SHAI FRANCO; SHENKAR COLLEGE
WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE Turning silkworms into biomedical solutions
At her lab in the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Materials and Interfaces Department, Dr Ulyana Shimanovich studies the self-assembling behavior of proteins in living systems. The implications of her research are far-reaching, as she explains
How did you come to work at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science? I obtained my PhD in chemistry from Bar-Ilan University, focusing on the effect of mechanical fields — covering the entire sound energy range, including ultrasounds — on protein structure. I then moved to the University of Cambridge and studied the protein self-assembly phenomenon, which is associated with neurodegenerative disorders. I also cooperated with a group from Oxford University working on spider silk; we discovered that, in terms of supramolecular organization, certain types of silks are – to some extent – similar to those protein structures associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Years later, when I got an offer to set up my lab
at the Weizmann Institute of Science, I decided to focus most of my research on the material aspects of protein constructs. We’re harnessing all the knowledge and techniques I learned and developed during my studies to understand how we can control, and possibly change, the protein self-assembly path — and, in turn, how these changes may affect the functionality of protein constructs and biomaterial properties.
Could you give examples of the work you do at the Shimanovich Research Group? As I mentioned, we’re looking at the protein self-assembly phenomenon. For example, using silkworms, we’re imposing genetic modifications on silk proteins and letting them self-assemble. Our aim is to understand how these mutations change the self-assembly pathway, and whether they affect various biological functions, functionalities or properties — like mechanical characteristics, the rate of biodegradability or biocompatibility. We’re not limited to materials that are made
purely from proteins — we’re also looking at different types of natural building blocks. We’ve recently explored the capabilities of polysaccharides from food-industry waste; they have an excellent thermal responsivity that can be converted into electrical currents, but the problem with utilizing them is their mechanical instability. We discovered that if we combine a conductive polysaccharide with silk — known for its mechanical stability — we can construct a multifunctional material that’s mechanically strong, biodegradable and thermo-responsive.
What are some real-life implications? The ability to control the protein self-assembly phenomenon, especially the one associated with material performance, opens up endless possibilities for the synthesis of materials with programmable multifunctional characteristics. For example, the technology developed in our lab allows us to create both highly stiff material and very extensible biomaterial – all assembled from the same building blocks: silk proteins. Such capabilities have a range of biomedical
applications, from controlling cellular growth to tissue replacement, where programmable mechanical performance, biocompatibility and slow biodegradability are essential.
How does this relate to sustainability? We’re using materials that are either considered waste products or available in large quantities. Silk protein, for example, is cheap, known for its broad utilization in the textile industry. Our aim is to create technology that’s as green and as cost-effective as possible.
Read the full interview at
israelacademia.che.org.il
32 Israeli Academia | 2022
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