Next generation protein-based materials capture and preserve projectiles from supersonic impacts

Doolan, Jack, Alesbrook, Luke ORCID: 0000-0001-9892-281X, Baker, Karen, Brown, Ian, Williams, George, Hiscock, Jennifer and Goult, Benjamin ORCID: 0000-0002-3438-2807 (2022) Next generation protein-based materials capture and preserve projectiles from supersonic impacts. [Preprint]

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.29.518433

Abstract

Extreme energy dissipating materials are essential for a range of applications. The military and police force require ballistic armour to ensure the safety of their personnel, while the aerospace industry requires materials that enable the capture, preservation and study of hypervelocity projectiles. However, current industry standards display at least one inherent limitation. To resolve these limitations we have turned to nature, utilising proteins that have evolved over millennia to enable effective energy dissipation. Specifically, a recombinant form of the mechanosensitive protein talin was incorporated into a monomeric unit and crosslinked, resulting in the production of the first reported example of a talin shock absorbing material (TSAM). When subjected to 1.5 km/s supersonic shots, TSAMs were shown not only to absorb the impact, but to capture/preserve the projectile, making TSAMs the first reported protein material to achieve this.

Item Type:	Preprint
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	13 Mar 2024 10:02
Last Modified:	13 Mar 2024 10:02
DOI:	10.1101/2022.11.29.518433
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.29.518433
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3179300