Kyle H. Vining

Sea Cucumber‐Inspired Double‐Network Biopolymer Hydrogels for Programmable Soft Machines

ABSTRACT Engineering biopolymer‐based hydrogels with robust load‐bearing capacity, reversible mechanical programmability, and adaptive actuation remains difficult due to weak physical crosslinking and porous structure. Inspired by the mutable dermis of sea cucumbers, a collagen–a...

Mechanical cues of an interpenetrating polysaccharide matrix regulate self-assembly of collagen fibers

Collagen molecules self-assemble into supramolecular fibers within a molecularly crowded, polysaccharide-rich extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM typically has fluid-like, viscoelastic properties that can be quantified rheologically. Here, we determine that the viscoelasticity of...