Synthetic genes encoding ELPs were purchased from Genscript (Piscataway, NJ, USA) and delivered in pUC57 vectors. Full DNA and protein sequences are provided in the Supporting Information (Table ). Plasmids were subcloned using BsshII and NheI restriction enzymes and standard molecular biology techniques into a custom vector referred to as POE-W. The POE-W vector appends a single tryptophan residue at the C-terminus of the expressed protein, as well as an N-terminal pelB leader peptide that facilitates the translocation of the expressed protein to the periplasm and is cleaved upon export. Validity of the signal peptide cleavage site was confirmed via the SignalP webserver (Figure ). Plasmids were transformed using conventional heat shock methods into NEB5a chemicompetent cells (New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA) and purified using NEB Monarch Plasmid Miniprep Kits. DNA concentration was measured with a ThermoFisher NanoDrop 2000c UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Plasmid construction was confirmed by Sanger sequencing (Eurofins Genomics, Louisville, KY, USA).