Learning from nature's silky skills
Why have we never been able to manufacture fibers as strong and tough as the silks spun by silkworms and spiders?
Materials Science
Aug 21, 2015
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News tagged with natural silk
Regenerative medicine: Spider silk Janus fibers could attract nerve cells and stimulate their growth
Spider silk has enormous potential in regenerative medicine thanks to being a natural fiber that is tough, stable, and biodegradable. Researchers have now produced double-sided spider silk fibers, which could provide damaged ...
Biochemistry
Feb 4, 2022
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124
Bioinspired process makes materials light, robust, programmable at nano- to macro-scale
Researchers at Tufts University's School of Engineering have developed a new bioinspired technique that transforms silk protein into complex materials that are easily programmable at the nano-, micro- and macro-scales as ...
Nanophysics
Feb 27, 2017
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Silk 'micrococoons' could be used in biotechnology and medicine
Microscopic versions of the cocoons spun by silkworms have been manufactured by a team of researchers. The tiny capsules, which are invisible to the naked eye, can protect sensitive molecular materials, and could prove a ...
Materials Science
Jul 19, 2017
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Stronger than spider silk: Bagworm silk enables strong conducting fibers
Think spider silk is strong? Recent work has shown that bagworm silk is superior to spider silk in both strength and flexibility. Building on these findings, a research team at the University of Tsukuba, led by Professor ...
Polymers
Oct 22, 2021
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Researchers synthesize a new kind of silk fiber (w/ video)
Pound for pound, spider silk is one of the strongest materials known: Research by MIT's Markus Buehler has helped explain that this strength arises from silk's unusual hierarchical arrangement of protein building blocks.
Materials Science
Nov 28, 2012
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Research may offer big benefits for biofuels and battling infections
(Phys.org)—Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have deciphered the secrets of the production of cellulose, the most common natural polymer on Earth, in a discovery that could have major ramifications ...
Biotechnology
Dec 14, 2012
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First practical scientific test to date and authenticate priceless silk masterpieces
Scientists are reporting development of the first fast and reliable scientific method to determine the age and authenticity of priceless silk tapestries and other treasures -- such as Civil War General Phillip Sheridan's ...
Analytical Chemistry
Oct 12, 2011
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Scientists use modified silk proteins to create new nonstick surfaces
Researchers at Tufts University have developed a method to make silk-based materials that refuse to stick to water, or almost anything else containing water for that matter. In fact, the modified silk, which can be molded ...
Biochemistry
Sep 23, 2022
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