Engineering elasticity inspired by natural biopolymers

Nature has effectively revised engineering designs of elastomeric biopolymers through years of evolutionary history. In this chapter, we examine the molecular and multiscale mechanisms within biopolymers exhibiting exceptional elasticity in vivo to review design principles that can be used to develop novel elastic biopolymers for medical and engineering applications. We also review common bioengineering approaches used to tune and adjust elastic properties of such materials. We consider in particular two examples from nature: resilin, a biopolymer found in insect cuticles, and elastin, a key component within the extracellular matrix of elastic tissues in mammals. Through these examples, we discuss various properties contributing to elasticity within elastomeric proteins and polypeptides including sequence, structure, cross-linking and assembly hierarchies, and associated intrinsic and extrinsic factors modulating elastic behavior. Additionally, we review computational methods to study elastomeric proteins. Several case studies are highlighted to illustrate how different computational methods can be used for targeted and rational design of elastomeric biopolymers.