Postdoctoral Researcher

Atsuko is working towards developing mechanically tough fibers based on proteins of Hagfish slime threads. Under threatened conditions, Hagfish produce a unique slime that is re-enforced by a network of micron-sized threads. These thread fibers are of interest because their mechanical properties are comparable to existing high performance fibers both natural (e.g. spider silk) and synthetic (e.g kevlar). 

Increasing demands on the depleating reserve of fossil fuels require us to search for alternative resources.  To this end, there has been a renewed vigor in biomaterials research.  Protein-based materials are environmentally sustainable, biologically-friendly and can offset the production of petroleum-based
fibers.  One challenge is to make high performance materials that are peptide-based.   Recent efforts into developing a commercially-viable production of artificial spider silk has so far met with little success. The primary obstacle is the difficulty in replicating the native conditions in which spider silks are formed. However, hagfish slime threads form in the cytosol of gland thread cells in a self-assembled manner that may be replicated in vitro using recombinant proteins.

Drawing a fiber from regenerated hagfish thread proteins:

[img_assist|nid=1934|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=250|height=166]

Contact information

anegishi@uoguelph.ca