Skip to main content

Next generation protein-based materials capture and preserve projectiles from supersonic impacts

Doolan, Jack, Alesbrook, L.S., Baker, Karen, Brown, I.R., Williams, George T., Hiscock, Jennifer R., Goult, Benjamin T (2022) Next generation protein-based materials capture and preserve projectiles from supersonic impacts. BioRxiv, . (doi:10.1101/2022.11.29.518433v1) (KAR id:98545)

PDF Pre-print
Language: English


Download (3MB)
[thumbnail of 2022_Doolan_BioRxiv.pdf]
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format
Official URL:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.29...

Abstract

Extreme energy dissipating materials are essential for a range of applications. The military and police force require ballistic armour to ensure the safety of their personnel, while the aerospace industry requires materials that enable the capture, preservation and study of hypervelocity projectiles. However, current industry standards display at least one inherent limitation. To resolve these limitations we have turned to nature, utilising proteins that have evolved over millennia to enable effective energy dissipation. Specifically, a recombinant form of the mechanosensitive protein talin was incorporated into a monomeric unit and crosslinked, resulting in the production of the first reported example of a talin shock absorbing material (TSAM). When subjected to 1.5 km/s supersonic shots, TSAMs were shown not only to absorb the impact, but to capture/preserve the projectile, making TSAMs the first reported protein material to achieve this.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1101/2022.11.29.518433v1
Uncontrolled keywords: talin, material, chemistry, synbio, synthetic biology
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH581.2 Cell Biology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Chemistry and Forensics
Funders: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (https://ror.org/00cwqg982)
Royal Society (https://ror.org/03wnrjx87)
Depositing User: Ben Goult
Date Deposited: 30 Nov 2022 17:09 UTC
Last Modified: 06 Dec 2022 13:52 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/98545 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)
Alesbrook, L.S.: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9892-281X
Hiscock, Jennifer R.: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1406-8802
Goult, Benjamin T: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3438-2807
  • Depositors only (login required):

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year