A natural protein, specifically silk fibroin or sericin, is chemically modified such that it can be rendered photoactive, but which otherwise has similar structure and attributes as silk fibroin or sericin. This chemically modified silk conjugate can be patterned using radiant energy to produce patterned silk materials which may be used for a wide variety of applications such as making micro and nanoparticles of different shapes and functionalities for drug delivery, creating new forms of intricate 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering, and forming substrates for flexible bio-electronics.

Proteinaceous cellulose microparticles are provided. These microparticles comprise cellulose nanocrystals and one or more peptide, one or more protein, or a mixture thereof, wherein the nanocrystals and the peptide(s) and/or protein(s) are aggregated together to form the microparticles. In embodiments, the microparticles comprise silk fibroin and advantageously are hydrophobic and lipophilic. There are also provided cosmetic preparations comprising these microparticles. In advantageous embodiments, these cosmetic preparations comprise a water-in-oil emulsion or a lipophilic medium. Finally, there are also provided methods of producing the microparticles.

Provided is a water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent capable of easily imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to various materials or articles in a simple process, and a method capable of easily imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to predetermined materials or articles.

A water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent containing modified fibroin as an active ingredient, and a method for imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to an article, the method including a step of incorporating modified fibroin into the article.

Disclosed are methods, compositions, and systems for transforming silkworms to produce spider silk and analogs of spider silk. In certain embodiments, the method may include inserting a DNA sequence coding for at least a portion of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, positioned between at least a portion of the 5′ and 3′ ends of a silkworm fibroin gene to generate a fusion gene construct having a sequence that encodes for a polypeptide comprising both spider silk fibroin and silkworm silk fibroin sequences. In certain embodiments, the fused gene is able to replace a native gene present in the silkworm such that the transformed silkworm expresses a polypeptide comprising a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog thereof, and expresses significantly less of the native silkworm silk.

Disclosed is a method for producing a protein fiber, the method including: bringing a spinning dope containing a protein and an organic solvent into contact with a coagulation liquid to coagulate the protein, wherein a content of the protein in the spinning dope is more than 10% by mass based on a total amount of the spinning dope, and the coagulation liquid contains water or an aqueous solution of pH 0.25 or more and pH 10.00 or less.

The invention relates to a cosmetic composition comprising a low molecular weight silk fibroin and a cosmetically acceptable carrier; wherein said low molecular weight silk fibroin comprises at least 85 parts by weight peptides of molecular weight less than 2500 Da, where amino acid sequence of at least 50 wt % of said peptides is GAGY, GAGAGAGY, GAGVGAGY or AWSSESDF and where said silk fibroin is produced by a process comprising the steps of: (i) mixing an aqueous solution comprising 0.01 to 20 wt % of a high molecular weight silk fibroin of weight average molecular weight 6 to 100 KDa with ochymotrypsin at temperature of 25 to 45° C., under pH of 6 to 9 for 4 to 24 hours; where ratio of said high molecular weight silk fibroin to said ochymotrypsin in said solution is from 100:1 to 300:1 parts by weight: (ii) inactivating excess ochymotrypsin and separating the inactivated α-chymotrypsin from reaction mixture of step (i); and (ill) drying said reaction mixture to obtain said low molecular weight silk fibroin; wherein said composition comprises 0.1 to 10% by weight of the low molecular weight silk fibroin.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for directed to synthetic block copolymer proteins, expression constructs for their secretion, recombinant microorganisms for their production, and synthetic fibers (including advantageously, microfibers) comprising these proteins that recapitulate many properties of natural silk. The recombinant microorganisms can be used for the commercial production of silk-like fibers.

The present disclosure relates to methods for producing recombinant proteins, as well as compositions used in and produced by such methods. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods for producing high secreted yields of recombinant proteins, and the compositions provided herein include recombinant host cells that comprise polynucleotide sequences encoding proteins operably linked to at least 2 distinct secretion signals.

Methods of making recombinant secretion of silk and silk-amyloid proteins using bacteria are provided.

Compositions and methods for improving memory, cognitive performance, providing neuroprotection, and treating neurological disease or symptoms thereof are described. The compositions comprise a synergistic combination of purified Bombyx mori cocoon silk peptide fiber and refined Buglossoides arvensis seed oil, and preferably Blueberry Extract, and may be administered as a dietary supplement.