Dr. Anna Rising, research group leader at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet (KI), stated that her team has developed a completely new method for creating a three-dimensional gel from spider silk that can be used to deliver different functional proteins. She added that the proteins in the gel are tightly crosslinked and mild so that they can be used even for sensitive proteins.

In the future, the researchers hope to develop an injectable protein solution that forms a gel inside the body. The ability to design hydrogels with specific functions opens up a range of possible applications, such as the controlled release of drugs into the body. In the chemical industry, it could be fused with enzymes, a form of protein used to speed up various chemical processes.

The new study showed that the N-terminal domain of the spider silk protein can change shape and transition to small fibrils. When incubated at 37°C, the protein solution was converted into a gel. In addition, it can be fused with functional proteins that preserve their function in the gel. The research was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. 

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/scientists-develop-gel-made-from-spider-silk-proteins-for-biomedical-applications/93579827 )