Amyloid fibril-directed synthesis of silica core–shell nanofilaments, gels, and aerogels

Significance Proteinaceous fibrils networks are ubiquitous in nature and span most domains of living matter. Among these, amyloid networks bear a twofold significance, due to their implication in the formation of amyloid plaques and tangles in vivo, but also the remarkable width of applications in which they start to emerge when synthesized in vitro. This work provides a solid strategy to improve the mechanical properties of amyloid networks by biosilicification and demonstrates how the resulting hydrogels can be used for further material design, such as in the fabrication of ultra-high porous aerogels. This contribution also advances our fundamental understanding of complex dynamic networks by introducing a general theoretical model capable of quantitatively capturing the effects of filament bundling on gel rigidity.