Scanning electron microscopy images of fibers from engineered spider silk. To validate their computational findings, the Northwestern team used spectroscopy techniques to examine how the protein ...

Japan-based biochemist Ali Malay has long questioned traditional theories about how spiders make their silk. “The prevailing hypotheses seemed like magic, because, according to it, you suddenly have ...

The strength and robustness of spider silk have long fascinated scientists and engineers. Recent research indicates that synthetic spider silk could potentially outperform steel in a number of tests, ...

Somewhere in Michigan, 10,000 silkworms are spinning the future of supermaterials. They labor in the thick air of a warm, humid warehouse, pulling a sticky white strand from a gland in their face and ...