I.

DNA–Protein Conjugate Chemistry

Site-specific azide–alkyne “click” coupling links recombinant eADF4(C16) spider silk to designer oligonucleotides. We study how chemical conjugation changes fibril morphology, kinetics of self-assembly, and surface reactivity.

II.

Programmable Hierarchical Assembly

DNA hybridisation directs the spatial organisation of silk moieties in solution, yielding branched structures, ribbons and micro-rafts governed by designed complementarity and temperature gradients.

III.

Micropatterned Nanohydrogels

Photolithography and micro-contact printing define where silk fibrils nucleate and grow on a surface. The resulting fibrous networks swell and soften like hydrogels, creating three-dimensional niches within arbitrary microstructures.

IV.

Aptameric Surface Functionalisation

DNA aptamers conjugated to silk nanohydrogels confer bioselective binding capacity — enabling specific capture of proteins, enzymes, growth factors and living cells without compromising fibrillar scaffold integrity.

Circulating tumour cell isolation

Aptamer-functionalised nanohydrogel microarrays selectively capture specific cancer cell types from complex biological fluids. Low non-specific binding of the silk scaffold minimises background, improving sensitivity for liquid biopsy applications.

Controlled drug and protein delivery

Aptamer-gated silk nanohydrogels release therapeutic proteins in response to molecular triggers. Redox- and pH-sensitive silk-based drug carriers (published in Biomacromolecules 2020) extend this to small-molecule drugs, enabling stimuli-responsive implantable depots.

Programmable tissue engineering scaffolds

DNA-directed cell patterning on three-dimensional nanohydrogel microstructures provides spatially defined niches for tissue formation. Multicomponent systems with co-immobilised growth factors guide stem cell differentiation and organ-on-chip construction.

Biosensors and diagnostics

Silk–DNA hybrids functionalised with enzyme reporters or gold nanoparticles form the basis for highly sensitive electrochemical and optical biosensors, building on our group’s foundational work in esterase-dendrimer electrochemical detection.

Anti-fouling implant coatings

eADF4(C16) nanofibrillar silk coatings do not support bacterial adhesion and repel microbobes, while they allow specific mammalian cell binding — making them strong candidates for next-generation infection-resistant bioselective implant surfaces.

Regenerative medicine

Fibrillar nanohydrogel networks including cell-adhesion motifs and signalling factors provide tunable microenvironments for tissue regeneration. Integration with photolithographic micropatterning enables spatially graded scaffolds matching native tissue architecture.

Nanostructured protein coatings with tunable cell affinity

A comprehensive review co-authored by Humenik and Scheibel maps the design space of recombinant spidroin-based nanostructured surface coatings. Bioengineered spidroin variants now enable surfaces with programmable affinity — from cell-repellent nanohydrogel coatings that resist bacterial fouling to aptamer-functionalised layers that capture specific cancer cell types on demand.

Humenik & Scheibel, Advanced Materials 2025, 37.

Aptamer-modified nanohydrogel microarrays for cancer cell capture

Photolithography combined with spider silk self-assembly produces cell-repellent micropatterned nanofibrillar networks. Incorporation of DNA aptamers targeting PTK7 receptor-positive cancer cells (HeLa) enables bioselective, reversible immobilisation — a foundation for circulating tumour cell isolation and on-chip diagnostics.

Lamberger, Bargel & Humenik, Advanced Functional Materials 2022, 32.

DNA-guided cell attachment and patterning on nanohydrogels

Spider silk nanohydrogels functionalised with defined DNA sequences direct specific cell attachment and spatial patterning. Pre-programmed DNA–cell interactions allow arbitrary positioning of living cells on the scaffold surface — advancing programmable tissue architectures.

Heinritz, Lamberger, Kocourková, Minařík & Humenik, ACS Nano 2022, 16.

Secondary nucleation drives spider silk fibril growth

Global kinetic analysis reveals that recombinant spider silk fibril formation proceeds via secondary nucleation — a mechanistic insight with direct implications for controlling gelation rates, fibril dimensions, and material homogeneity in processing applications.

Hovanová, Hovan, Žoldák, Sedlák & Humenik, Protein Science 2023, 32.

Aptamer-gated protein binding and controlled release

Anti-thrombin aptamers chemically conjugated to eADF4(C16) nanohydrogels enable bio-selective protein capture and stimulus-triggered release. This modular approach extends to growth factors and enzymes, opening routes to implantable delivery devices.

Humenik, Preiß, Gödrich, Papastavrou & Scheibel, Materials Today Bio 2020, 6.

Directed antibody functionalization

Incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into recombinant silk proteins enables site-directed conjugation of antibodies to nonwoven silk membranes — providing oriented, fully active antibody display for biosensor and immunodiagnostic applications.

Lacombe, Leonhardt, Humenik, Wiltschi & Scheibel, Advanced Materials 2026, 38.