Water Drives Elastin's Elasticity, Study Finds
University of Connecticut researchers show hydration water, not just protein flexibility, underlies elastin's ability to snap back.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Nutrition
University of Connecticut researchers Anna Tarakanova and Metehan Çam used computer simulations to show that water surrounding elastin drives its elasticity. The study was published in Nature Communications on November 9, 2026.
Why it matters
Elastin helps arteries, lungs, and skin return to their original shape, so understanding its mechanics bears on tissue health. The findings resolve a debate among scientists that lasted more than 50 years over whether elasticity comes from protein flexibility or water interactions.
The evidence is an atom-by-atom simulation of a 225-amino-acid region of human tropoelastin, tracked for 60 microseconds on the Anton 3 supercomputer and compared against a fully extended reference state. The study does not address how age-related chemical changes would alter the water layer around elastin.
The players
University of Connecticut
A public research university in Storrs, Connecticut, where the elastin study was conducted.
Anna Tarakanova
A University of Connecticut researcher who led the computational study of elastin's elasticity.
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
A research center that hosts the Anton 3 supercomputer used to run the elastin simulations.
The details
Stretching elastin exposes more of its surface to water and draws additional water molecules into a thin layer where they have less freedom of movement. The team calculated the entropy of each component separately, unlike earlier studies that measured the combined effects of protein and water.
Timeline
November 9, 2026: Study published in Nature Communications.
Big Picture
The study settles a question scientists have debated for more than 50 years about whether elastin's elasticity comes from protein flexibility or water interactions. It shows water interactions are central, a result that reframes how researchers approach elastic protein mechanics.
The findings could inform the development of elastin-inspired biomaterials for tissue engineering, which may eventually affect treatments for damaged arteries, lungs, and skin. Tarakanova and Çam plan to extend their models to more complex systems, but no clinical applications are available yet.
The takeaway
Hydration is not a passive backdrop for elastic tissues; the water layer around elastin is an active part of how it returns to shape. Researchers studying tissue health may need to account for water interactions alongside protein structure.
Further reading
For related coverage of how the body's tissues and proteins respond to water and diet, explore Nutrition.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Technology Networks.
