Supramolecular hydrogels formed from the self-assembly of low molecular weight derivatives are very attractive systems, because of their potential applications in nano- and bio-technology.

Globular proteins composed of different secondary structures and fold types were examined by synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy to determine the effects of dehydration on their secondary structures. They exhibited only minor changes upon removal of bulk water during film formation, contrary to previously reported studies of proteins dehydrated by lyophilization (where substantial loss of helical structure and gain in sheet structure was detected). This near lack of conformational change observed for globular proteins contrasts with intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) dried in the same manner: the IDPs, which have almost completely unordered structures in solution, exhibited increased amounts of regular (mostly helical) secondary structures when dehydrated, suggesting formation of new intra‐protein hydrogen bonds replacing solvent‐protein hydrogen bonds, in a process which may mimic interactions that occur when IDPs bind to partner molecules. This study has thus shown that the secondary structures of globular and intrinsically disordered proteins behave very differently upon dehydration, and that films are a potentially useful format for examining dehydrated soluble proteins and assessing IDPs structures.

Gua/GMP hydrogels are formed by disordered microcoils of intertwined filaments (knots, rich in gua) connected by long linear GMP-rich threads. Gua provides flexibility and thread attraction, responsible for hydrogel stability (AFM image is 2.5 × 2.5 μm).