A biofabricated material comprising a network of crosslinked collagen fibrils produced from recombinant collagen that contains substantially no 3-hydroxyproline residues is disclosed. This material is composed of collagen which is also a major component of natural leather and is produced by a process of fibrillation of collagen molecules into fibrils, crosslinking the fibrils and lubricating the crosslinked fibrils. Unlike natural leathers, this biofabricated material exhibits non-anisotropic (not directionally dependent) physical properties, for example, a sheet of biofabricated material can have substantially the same elasticity or tensile strength when stretched or stressed in different directions. Unlike natural leather, it has a uniform texture that facilitates uniform uptake of dyes and coatings. Aesthetically, it produces a uniform and consistent grain for ease of manufacturability. It can have substantially identical grain, texture and other aesthetic properties on both sides distinct from natural leather where the grain increases from one side (e.g., distal surface) to the other (proximal inner layers).

The disclosure herein relates to photoinitiated dermal fillers, hyaluronic acid-rhCollagen double crosslinked dermal fillers and hyaluronic acid-rhCollagen semi interpenetrated network, each comprising plant-derived human collagen, as well as methods of using the same.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

The invention is directed to a composite material comprising a biofabricated material and a secondary component. The secondary component may be a porous material, such as a sheet of paper, cellulose, or fabric that has been coated or otherwise contacted with the biofabricated material. The biofabricated material comprises a uniform network of crosslinked collagen fibrils and provides strength, elasticity and an aesthetic appearance to the composite material.

The method of the invention comprises the production of highly digestible hydrolysed keratinaceous material comprising the steps of (i) partly hydrolysing keratinaceous material with heat and pressure and (ii) optionally drying the resultant partly hydrolysed material comprising at least partly insoluble material and (iii) subjecting the optionally dried partly hydrolysed keratinaceous material to a chemical hydrolysis step with acid or base to obtain a highly digestible hydrolysed material, and (iv) purifying the highly digestible material. The invention further provides highly digestible keratinaceous material with an amino acid composition reflecting the amino acid composition of the raw material, wherein the amount of de-carboxylated amino acids is less than 500 ppm. Preferably all of the highly digestible material has a molecular weight lower than 10000 dalton, and preferably more than 95 wt % of the highly digestible keratinaceous material has a molecular weight of less than 5000 dalton.

The method of the invention comprises the production of highly digestible hydrolysed keratinaceous material comprising the steps of (i) partly hydrolysing keratinaceous material with heat and pressure and (ii) optionally drying the resultant partly hydrolysed material comprising at least partly insoluble material and (iii) subjecting the optionally dried partly hydrolysed keratinaceous material to a chemical hydrolysis step with acid or base to obtain a highly digestible hydrolysed material, and (iv) purifying the highly digestible material. The invention further provides highly digestible keratinaceous material with an amino acid composition reflecting the amino acid composition of the raw material, wherein the amount of de-carboxylated amino acids is less than 500 ppm. Preferably all of the highly digestible material has a molecular weight lower than 10000 dalton, and preferably more than 95 wt % of the highly digestible keratinaceous material has a molecular weight of less than 5000 dalton.

The present invention relates to a method for producing bone gelatine having an isoelectric point of less than 6, comprising the following steps: a) providing bones of vertebrates; b) mechanically crushing the bones to a particle size of less than 1 500 μm, preferably less than 500 μm, more preferably less than 300 μm; c) extracting the crushed bones using an aqueous medium at a temperature of from 100 to 140° C., preferably from 120 to 130° C., for a period of from 0.5 to 10 min, preferably 1 to 5 min, more preferably 1 to 3 min; d) separating off the aqueous gelatine solution from the crushed bones; and e) drying the aqueous gelatine solution in order to obtain the bone gelatine having an isoelectric point of less than 6, wherein the method does not comprise liming of the bones with a base, and wherein the bones provided in step a) have not undergone liming. The invention further relates to bone gelatine having an isoelectric point of less than 6, produced by this method.

The present invention relates to a method for producing bone gelatine having an isoelectric point of less than 6, comprising the following steps: a) providing bones of vertebrates; b) mechanically crushing the bones to a particle size of less than 1 500 μm, preferably less than 500 μm, more preferably less than 300 μm; c) extracting the crushed bones using an aqueous medium at a temperature of from 100 to 140° C., preferably from 120 to 130° C., for a period of from 0.5 to 10 min, preferably 1 to 5 min, more preferably 1 to 3 min; d) separating off the aqueous gelatine solution from the crushed bones; and e) drying the aqueous gelatine solution in order to obtain the bone gelatine having an isoelectric point of less than 6, wherein the method does not comprise liming of the bones with a base, and wherein the bones provided in step a) have not undergone liming. The invention further relates to bone gelatine having an isoelectric point of less than 6, produced by this method.

A method for synthesizing hydrogels comprises dissolving a gelatin in a first solvent to form a first solution, methacrylating the first solution using a methacrylating agent to form a solution containing dissolved gelatin methacryloyl, precipitating the gelatin methacryloyl from the solution by adding a second solvent and isolating the precipitated gelatin methacryloyl. The method may further comprise dissolving the precipitated gelatin methacryloyl in a third solvent to remove the second solvent.