Functional Protein-based Biomaterials

Abstract

Functional protein-based biomaterials have been gaining more attention in recent years due to their biophysical and biochemical attributes over synthetic materials, including tunability, biocompatibility, modifications and purifications, scalability, biodegradability, low immunogenicity, and nontoxicity or minimal toxicity. Activities of most of the protein and/or protein-derived biomaterials depend on their structure, including tertiary structure or above, functions, and properties. Additionally, protein-based biomaterials are also limited by their poor chemical and physical properties; therefore, tailoring or modifications of biomaterials from functional proteins are necessary. In this regard, introducing chemical motifs, composite materials, and crosslinking techniques has been shown to enhance the functional properties of protein biomaterials, resulting in the generation of macro-to-nano constructs, including film, sponge, fibre, scaffold, nanoparticles, and hydrogel. These improved biomaterials are used in effective drug delivery systems, tissue repair and regeneration, sustainable crop production in agriculture sectors, functional food fortification, and biodegradable food packaging. This book chapter addresses an update on information on the multi-hierarchical structure of functional proteins, types of proteins (animal-, dairy-, plant-, and marine-sourced protein biomaterials), modification methods, protein derivatives, nanostructure, and their sustainable applications in different industrial sectors.