title: Multiphoton fabrication of chemically responsive protein hydrogels for microactuation.
abstract: We report a method for creating stimuli-responsive biomaterials in which scanning nonlinear excitation is used to photocrosslink proteins at submicrometer 3D coordinates. Proteins with differing hydration properties can be combined to achieve tunable volume changes that are rapid and reversible in response to changes in chemical environment. Protein matrices having arbitrary 3D topographies and definable density gradients over micrometer dimensions provide the ability to effect rapid (<1 sec) and precise mechanical manipulations by means of changes in hydrogel size and shape, and applicability of these materials to cell biology is shown through the fabrication of responsive bacterial cages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaehr
authors.forename: Jason B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Shear
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001360:Avidin / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009113:Muramidase / Q000378:metabolism; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D017785:Photons; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D011506:Proteins; D001360:Avidin; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D009113:Muramidase