Protein found in squid forms fibres of sustainable materials

Materials made from this protein are sustainable and can be produced on a large-scale production using laboratory culture methods. The advance is published in Frontiers in Chemistry

"Squid proteins can be used to produce next-generation materials for an array of fields including energy and biomedicine, as well as the security and defence sector," said lead author Melik Demirel, Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck Endowed Chair in Biomimetic Materials, and Director of Center for Research on Advanced Fibre Technologies (CRAFT) at Penn State University, USA. "We reviewed the current knowledge on squid ring teeth-based materials, which are an excellent alternative to plastics because they are eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable."

"Nature produces a variety of smart materials capable of environmental sensing, self-healing and exceptional mechanical function. These materials, or biopolymers, have unique physical properties that are not readily found in synthetic polymers like plastic. Importantly, biopolymers are sustainable and can be engineered to enhance their physical properties," he added.