Mechanism for strength of spiders' silk identified

摘要

A team of engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, has identified two key physical processes that give spider silk its strength and durability. Manufactured spider silk could be used for the production of novel composites (including biodegradable types), artificial tendons and ligaments, sutures, parachutes and bulletproof vests. However, to date, engineers have not managed to produce spider silk artificially. In their research work, Gareth H. McKinley, professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, and colleagues, examined how spiders spin their native silk fibres, with hopes of ultimately reproducing the process artificially.