New Opportunities for an Ancient Material

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 2010 Jul 31

PMID 20671180

Citations 321

Authors

Fiorenzo G Omenetto

David L Kaplan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Spiders and silkworms generate silk protein fibers that embody strength and beauty. Orb webs are fascinating feats of bioengineering in nature, displaying magnificent architectures while providing essential survival utility for spiders. The unusual combination of high strength and extensibility is a characteristic unavailable to date in synthetic materials yet is attained in nature with a relatively simple protein processed from water. This biological template suggests new directions to emulate in the pursuit of new high-performance, multifunctional materials generated with a green chemistry and processing approach. These bio-inspired and high-technology materials can lead to multifunctional material platforms that integrate with living systems for medical materials and a host of other applications.

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