Biological protein-based fibers are widely investigated in biological and biomedical fields owing to their advantages of lightweight, strong mechanical performance, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. So far, the mass production of natural protein-based silks is restricted by the limited sources and high cost. To fabricate high-performance fibers, it is highly desired to introduce cheap and easily available proteins and to develop advanced spinning technology. Recent progress in the design and fabrication of naturally sourced protein fibers is outlined here. According to the types of naturally sourced proteins, fibrous and globular protein-based fibers are discussed. In addition, the structure and fiber mechanical performance on the basis of different types of widely available proteins are reviewed in detail. With the developed spinning techniques, both fibrous and globular protein-based fibers could achieve outstanding mechanical performance or even surpass natural silks, showing potential biomedical applications. Finally, a perspective on further development of biological protein fibers is highlighted.

基于蛋白质的生物纤维由于其轻巧，强大的机械性能，可生物降解性和生物相容性的优势而在生物和生物医学领域进行了广泛的研究。迄今为止，天然蛋白质基丝的大规模生产受到有限来源和高成本的限制。为了制造高性能纤维，非常需要引入廉价且容易获得的蛋白质并发展先进的纺丝技术。本文概述了天然蛋白纤维设计和制造的最新进展。根据天然来源蛋白质的类型，讨论了基于纤维和球状蛋白质的纤维。另外，详细回顾了基于不同类型的广泛可用蛋白质的结构和纤维机械性能。借助先进的纺丝技术，基于纤维和球状蛋白质的纤维都可以实现出色的机械性能，甚至可以超越天然丝，显示出潜在的生物医学应用。最后，重点介绍了生物蛋白纤维进一步发展的前景。