Walker, Caleb; Justin A. Jones (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Jones, Justin (College of Science, Biology Department)
In recent years there has been a large push towards exploring the possibility of using protein-based materials to replace petroleum-based materials. Proteins such as those found in spider silk have been investigated, and this exploration has led to proteins not only being used for fibers, but also gels, foams, and films. As research progressed in protein-based filaments, hagfish intermediate filaments have started being explored, specifically, how to recreate these proteins synthetically and what material forms could be produced from them. In the last year, significant progress has been made into the production and of these novel proteins as well as studying their material applications.
The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of protein films made of these novel recombinant hagfish proteins was evaluated through in vitro testing with a NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line. The films were produced from alpha and gamma hagfish proteins, purified as insoluble bodies from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Cytotoxicity of the films was tested through direct contact and extract testing using cell viability ratios, cell morphology, a cell proliferation assay, and a DNA quantitation assay.
This preliminary data is important for further experimentation with the novel hagfish proteins being used in the Jones lab for biomedical applications. The understanding of the cytotoxicity of these proteins is required before further testing can be done in any biomedical aspect, as in vitro studies provide the foundational data for moving forward with in vivo testing. This project is the first step into the biomedical field for these novel proteins and their potential applications.