The interfacial behavior of designed ankyrin repeat proteins

Proteins adsorb spontaneously at virtually any interface between the aqueous solution they are diluted in and a gas, solid, or liquid phase. In this study we correlate the mechanical properties of a protein adsorption layer at the air/liquid interface to the structure, stability and surface activity of a set of recombinant proteins called designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins). Two designed proteins with the same folding pattern but different lengths are applied to show that the viscoelastic properties of the protein adsorption film can be adjusted by changing the stability of the molecules themselves.