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. 2014 Mar 31;30(15):4406–4414. doi: 10.1021/la403559t

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Thermally reversible assembly of plasmonic NPs programmed by genetically engineered S4E8G proteins. (a) TEM images of Au-S4E8G-18mer NPs (1.2 nM in 10 mM PBS at pH 7.4) in individual form at 25 °C and (b) in aggregated form when heated to 60 °C. The square-like shape of (b) the Au-S4E8G NP aggregate was an indication for the presence of β-strands/β-sheets in the silk blocks of S4E8G, as also confirmed by CD. The thermal stability of the silk blocks, as a resistance mechanism opposing the temperature-induced coacervation, functionalized to regulate the aggregate size.