PhD Thesis Defense: Mechano-enzymatic production of nano/microcellulose and its application in neat and model drug-loaded spun fibers

This thesis focuses on the development of sustainable Alginate/NanoMicroCellulose (Alg/NMC) fibers from cellulose-rich renewable resources for potential textile and biomedical applications. A mechano-enzymatic process using a reconstructed ancestral endoglucanase was developed to produce Nano/MicroCellulose (NMC) under mild conditions, while preserving the native structure of cellulose. The obtained NMC was characterized and incorporated into alginate-based bioinks suitable for coagulation spinning. The addition of NMC modified the rheological behavior of the bioinks and enabled the production of continuous fibers with good mechanical performance. The resulting Alg/NMC fibers were evaluated as sustainable alternatives to conventional synthetic filaments, focusing on their morphology, structure and mechanical properties. Their potential biomedical application was also investigated through the encapsulation and release of model drugs and chloramphenicol. The fibers showed the ability to encapsulate and release model drugs with release kinetics governed by fiber composition, molecular characteristics and environmental conditions. Overall, this work shows a complete route for transforming cellulose into functional fibers and highlights the potential of Alg/NMC systems as sustainable materials for advanced textile, biomedical and drug-delivery applications.