Patent ID: 8507606
Filing Date: 2013-08-13
Classification: C12N

Abstract:
1. A method for making a biocomposite material, comprising: modifying a polypeptide to provide α, β-ethylenically unsaturated functional terminal groups; mixing the modified polypeptide with a polymerizable compound that includes (i) a functional group reactive with the α, β-ethylenically unsaturated functional terminal group of the modified polypeptide, and (ii) a silicon-containing functional group; subjecting the resulting mixture to conditions sufficient for forming a product that includes biocomposite particles that comprise the polypeptide and a crosslinked polymer shell produced from the polymerizable compound, wherein the crosslinked polymer shell substantially encompasses the polypeptide and is not crosslinked with any other crosslinked polymer shells present in the mixture; and isolating a composition from the product, wherein substantially all of the biocomposite particles in the isolated composition each individually do not define a dimension greater than about 1 μm and are not crosslinked together.