Self-assembly of collagen building blocks guided by electric fields

Abstract

Show me the way: protein building blocks are programmed to assemble hierarchically and yield a defined fiber morphology of micrometric length and precise nanometric diameter. The key step of this method is to align the building blocks with an AC field prior to assembly. The resulting protein nanofibers are straightforwardly integrated with the circuitry for potential applications in bionanotechnology. (Figure Presented)