Fig. 1: Spontaneous aggregation of keratin gel with rapid phase transition capability. | Nature Communications

Fig. 1: Spontaneous aggregation of keratin gel with rapid phase transition capability.

From: Entropy-driven denaturation enables sustainable protein regeneration through rapid gel-solid transition

Fig. 1

a Extraction process of the room-temperature stable keratin gel using LiBr-induced denaturation. b Rheology measurements of the keratin gel, showing an increase in viscosity and shear-thinning property upon decrease of temperature. Data are presented as mean ± s.d. (n = 3 independently prepared keratin gel samples). c Keratin content of the aggregated gel after separation. Data are presented as mean ± s.d. (n = 6 independently prepared keratin gel samples). d Phase transition study illustrating the behavior of extracted keratin when immersed in water using coverslips with transparent well spacers. Keratin gel (i) obtained through LiBr extraction rapidly transitioned into a white solid phase, whereas keratin solution (ii) extracted with urea exhibited slow diffusion and remained soluble. Scale bar, 5 mm. e Facile manufacturing strategies including injection molding, film casting, dip coating, fiber spinning, and 3D printing. Scale bars, 1 cm (optical images), 300 µm (SEM images). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

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