Concentrated aqueous silk fibroin solution and use thereof
AssigneeTrustees of Tufts College
InventorsDavid L. Kaplan, Ung-Jin Kim, Jaehyung Park, Hyoung-Joon Jin
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Abstract
The present invention provides for concentrated aqueous silk fibroin solutions and an all-aqueous mode for preparation of concentrated aqueous fibroin solutions that avoids the use of organic solvents, direct additives, or harsh chemicals. The invention further provides for the use of these solutions in production of materials, e.g., fibers, films, foams, meshes, scaffolds and hydrogels.
Claims21
1-58. (canceled)
An aqueous silk fibroin solution having a fibroin concentration of at least 4 wt %, wherein said solution is fee of organic solvents, and wherein the silk fibroin is obtained from:
- a silkworm silk obtained from Bombyx mori or a solution containing a genetically engineered silk.
A method comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a silk fibroin solution comprising silk fibroin in an aqueous salt solution;
- and
- (b) dialyzing said solution against a hygroscopic polymer to result in an aqueous silk fibroin solution of at least 4 wt % of fibroin.
A silk fibroin composition having a fibroin concentration of at least 4% silk fibroin but not more than 33% silk fibroin, wherein said composition is free of alcohol.
A method comprising the steps of:
- (a) boiling Bombyx mori cocoons in an aqueous solution;
- (b) preparing a silk fibroin salt solution comprising silk fibroin from the Bombyx mori cocoons in an aqueous salt solution;
- (c) removing salt from said aqueous salt solution to result in an aqueous silk fibroin solution of at least 4 wt % of fibroin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.