Stretching spider silk makes it stronger
New study finds the amount of stretching determines the fibers’ properties
When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk threads from their spinnerets. This pulling action doesn’t just help the spider release the silk, it’s also a crucial step in strengthening the silk fibers for a more durable web.
In a new study, Northwestern University researchers and Fuzhong Zhang, the Francis F. Ahmann Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, have discovered why the role of stretching is so important. By simulating spider silk in a computational model, the team discovered the stretching process aligns the protein chains within the fibers and increases the number of bonds between those chains. Both factors lead to stronger, tougher fibers.
The team then validated these computational predictions through laboratory experiments using engineered spider silk. These insights could help researchers design engineered silk-inspired proteins and spinning processes for various applications, including strong, biodegradable sutures and tough, high-performance, blast-proof body armor.
All researchers involved in the study are members of Synthetic biology Manufacturing of Advanced materials Research Center (SMARC) at WashU.
Shri V. Subramani, a doctoral student in Zhang’s lab, is also an author on the paper, published in Science Advances. Jacob Graham, first author and a doctoral student at Northwestern, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McKelvey Engineering at WashU in 2020.
Read the full story here.
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Shri Venkatesh Subramani
In the Media
Tech Explorist: New study finds the amount of stretching determines the fibers' properties
