It’s almost time to dust off the Halloween decorations and adorn the house with all manner of spooky things, including the classic polyester spider webs. Scientists reporting in ACS Nano have made ...

The microfluidic device. Precursor spidroin solution is placed at one end and then pulled towards the other end by means of negative pressure. As the spidroins flow through the microfluidic channels, ...

Famous for its strength, flexibility, and light weight, spider silk has a tensile strength that is comparable to steel of the same diameter. In addition, it is biocompatible (meaning that it can be ...

Researchers have coaxed common silkworms to spin a more durable, eco-friendlier spider silk—all it took was a few genetic modifications and hundreds of thousands of silkworm egg microinjections.

While spider silk proteins are something you can make in your garage, making useful drag line fibers has proved a daunting challenge. Now, a team of scientists from Japan and Hong Kong are closer to ...

Stronger than steel and more eco-friendly than plastic, spider silk is an alluring substance for material scientists. 1 However, researchers know little about the proteins that comprise it and how ...

Artificial fibres that can collect water from the air, much like how spider silk gathers dew, could be used for large-scale water collection from fog. In places where the availability of drinking ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Silk is a fabulous fabric, but it’s also a material that can do so ...

As the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated, pathogens that move in airborne particles can be a serious threat to human health. Viruses aren't the only offenders, either; pollen, fungal spores, and pollution ...

Spiders hold the market for the strongest silks but are too aggressive and territorial to be farmed. The next best alternative involves incorporating spider DNA into silkworms, an expensive and ...

Spider silk is one of the strongest materials on Earth, technically stronger than steel for a material of its size. However, it’s tough to obtain — spiders are too territorial (and cannibalistic!) to ...