Tunneling nanotubes are important membrane channels for cell-to-cell communication. In this study, we investigated the effect of the microenvironment on nanotubular structures by preparing a three-dimensional silk fibroin micropillar structure. In previous reports, tunneling nanotubes were described as stretched membrane channels between interconnected cells at their nearest distance. They hove...

Silk fibroin protein has been reinvented as a new optical material for biophotonic applications because of its optical transparency, biocompatibility, and easy fabrication process. It is used in various silk-based optical devices, which makes it desirable to investigate the optical properties of silk from diverse perspectives. This paper presents our investigation of the optical properties of s...

A silk fibroin/poly (vinyl alcohol) porous scaffold with a water vapor transmission rate of 2125 ± 464 g/m(2)/day has been developed via thermally induced phase separation (gelation) and freeze-drying process. A hierarchical architecture of micropores and nanofibers was observed inside the scaffolds, and the related structures were analyzed. The viability and proliferation of 3T3 fibroblasts we...

The predicted transcriptional regulatory factor for the fibroin gene of the silkworm Bombyx mori, fibroin-modulator-binding protein-1 (FMBP-1), was purified by sequential DNA affinity column chromatography, and cDNA clones corresponding to FMBP-1 were isolated from a library. The N-terminal half of FMBP-1 has a weak similarity to the DNA-binding domain of several transcriptional regulatory fact...

Fibroin monoliths, produced by compression molding starting from the protein powder, are known to achieve an impressive mechanical strength when tested in dry conditions. However, presence of water, loss structural integrity and performances is striking. Considering bone scaffold applications for which this material intended, remarkable weakening after implantation strongly limits its usage non...

Graphical Abstract Schema of biomass-derived fiber materials (cellulose, chitin, alginate, silk fibroin, collagen, hyaluronic acid, etc.,) for biomedical applications, such as antibacterial skin-wound dressings, tissue engineering, and drug delivery.