Collagen as a Protein Source for Producing Bio-Based Composites

Collagen is a fibrous protein found in tendons, cartilage, and bones and is well known for its stability and high tensile strength in connective tissue. Because of these properties and its high bio-availability, collagen will be incorporated into a vegetable oil polymer to produce a high strength bio-based composite. Type I collagen has been purified from bovine tendon via a pepsin digestion and isolation protocol. Collagen-based peptides will also be synthesized via solid phase peptide synthesis using sequences similar to those of type I collagen. Three helices will be synthesized and purified following standard equilibration techniques to form the collagen triple helix. The structure and thermal stability of the synthesized collagen mimic and the purified protein will be determined using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The CD data of the protein and peptide will be compared to confirm that the synthesized collagen exhibits the known triple helical structure. After initial experiments are completed with the first collagen triple helical peptide, the collagen protein sample and the collagen peptide mimic will be incorporated into the vegetable oil polymer to compare the mechanical properties of the new materials. Based on these results, other collagen peptide mimics will be produced with varied sequences and varied lengths to produce the structure with the highest strength and stability to reinforce the polymer. Once all samples are fully characterized, they will be assimilated into the vegetable oil polymer and will have their mechanical properties tested to determine the peptide or protein with the greatest mechanical properties. Additional peptide samples will be synthesized if necessary based on the results of these experiments. Progress made toward these research endeavors will be discussed