Scientists have identified the molecular interactions that give spider silk its exceptional strength and flexibility, opening the door to new bio-inspired materials for aircraft, protective clothing and medical applications, and even advancing our understanding of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers at King’s College London and San Diego State University (SDSU), establish general design principles that could guide the development of a new class of high-performance, sustainable fibres.
The joint research is the first to show how the amino acids that make up spider silk proteins interact to behave like molecular “stickers”.
Chris Lorenz, Professor of Computational Materials Science at King’s College London, who led the UK side of the research, said: “The potential applications are vast - lightweight protective clothing, airplane components, biodegradable medical implants, and even soft robotics could benefit from fibres engineered using these natural principles.”
Spider dragline silk is stronger than steel by weight and tougher than Kevlar - the material used to fabricate bullet-proof vests. The exceptional natural material forms the framework of a spider’s web and is also used for suspension, and researchers have long sought to understand how to recreate its unique properties.
Now they need to figure out how to spin it the way spiders biologically do from their silk glands. Not an easy problem.
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