Also: regenerated silk, Bombyx mori fibroin
Silk fibroin is the structural protein of silkworm silk. Once the sticky sericin coating is removed, it can be dissolved in water and reshaped into films, gels, sponges, fibres and printed parts. Entries summarise reported research; biomedical entries are descriptive only, not medical advice.
Readiness: lab lab studies · prototype demonstrated objects · commercial products or buildings in real use · review summaries of other studies.
Developed a silk fibroin ink that can be shaped precisely by light-based (DLP) 3D printing.
Built / tested: printed hydrogel structures
As reported in: Kim, Yeon, Lee et al. (2018). Precisely printable and biocompatible silk fibroin bioink for digital light processing 3D printing. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03759-y
Made porous 3D silk sponges using a water-based process, as scaffolds for tissue research (descriptive only).
Built / tested: porous scaffolds
As reported in: Kim, Park, Joo Kim et al. (2005). Three-dimensional aqueous-derived biomaterial scaffolds from silk fibroin. Biomaterials. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2004.07.044
Abstract only
Used thin silk films as a dissolvable backing that lets very thin electronics conform to soft, curved surfaces.
Built / tested: conformal electrode arrays
As reported in: Kim, Viventi, Amsden et al. (2010). Dissolvable films of silk fibroin for ultrathin conformal bio-integrated electronics. Nature Materials. doi:10.1038/nmat2745
A review of silk fibroin used in flexible and wearable electronic devices.
As reported in: Wen, Sun, Huang et al. (2021). Recent progress in silk fibroin-based flexible electronics. Microsystems & Nanoengineering. doi:10.1038/s41378-021-00261-2
Made hybrid aerogels by self-assembling silk fibroin inside a silica network, reported as compressible, heat-insulating and fire-retardant, with a route towards 3D printing.
Built / tested: silk–silica hybrid aerogels
As reported in: Maleki, Montes, Hayati-Roodbari et al. (2018). Compressible, Thermally Insulating, and Fire Retardant Aerogels through Self-Assembling Silk Fibroin Biopolymers Inside a Silica Structure—An Approach towards 3D Printing of Aerogels. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. doi:10.1021/acsami.8b05856
A step-by-step protocol for turning silkworm cocoons into fibroin solution and then into many material formats.
Built / tested: films, gels, sponges, fibres
As reported in: Rockwood, Preda, Yücel et al. (2011). Materials fabrication from Bombyx mori silk fibroin. Nature Protocols. doi:10.1038/nprot.2011.379
A review linking the molecular structure of silk fibroin to its mechanical behaviour and uses.
As reported in: Koh, Cheng, Teng et al. (2015). Structures, mechanical properties and applications of silk fibroin materials. Progress in Polymer Science. doi:10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2015.02.001
Abstract only
Reviews functionalised silk fibres built into textiles that sense, conduct or handle light.
As reported in: Wu, Ma, Liu (2021). From Mesoscopic Functionalization of Silk Fibroin to Smart Fiber Devices for Textile Electronics and Photonics. Advanced Science. doi:10.1002/advs.202103981