Binding Quantum Dots to Silk Biomaterials for Optical Sensing

Figure 6

Schematic illustration of proteolytic degradation of QDs-loaded silk films. Crystalline beta-sheet regions in silk films were induced after methanol treatment (a). Silk crystalline beta-sheet regions were partially cleaved into nanofibril and nanofilaments by protease XIV (b), while they remained intact in the presence of alpha-chymotrypsin (c). The random coil regions of silk molecules were cleaved into soluble fragments by both protease XIV and alpha-chymotrypsin. Beta-sheet and random coil regions were both cleaved by the dual proteases (protease XIV and alpha-chymotrypsin), yielding more soluble fragments in solution (d).