FUNCTIONALIZED SILK BIOMATERIALS FOR BONE REGENERATION

In this study, we extend our earlier strategies to functionalize silk-based biomaterials with mineralization domains, to new directions that exploit the addition of functional domains related to osteogenic repair needs and to infection control. To achieve this purpose a biotechnology was used to generate new chimeric silk proteins that can be combined into a single biomaterial system for application in bone defects, for improving interfaces with native tissue, for control of infections and for accelerating regeneration. Four new chimeric silk proteins were generated via recombinant