Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Synthetic Spider Silk Production on a Laboratory Scale
Published on: July 18, 2012
Spider silk: from soluble protein to extraordinary fiber
Markus Heim1, David Keerl, Thomas Scheibel
1Lehrstuhl für Biomaterialien, Fakultät für Angewandte Naturwissenschaften, Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
Abstract:
Spider silks outrival natural and many synthetic fibers in terms of their material characteristics. In nature, the formation of a solid fiber from soluble spider silk proteins is the result of complex biochemical and physical processes that take place within specialized spinning organs. Herein, we present natural and artificial silk production processes, from gene transcription to silk protein processing and finally fiber assembly. In-vivo and in-vitro findings in the field of spider silk research are the basis for the design of new proteins and processing strategies, which will enable applications of these fascinating protein-based materials in technical and medical sciences.
Related Concept Videos
Fibrous Proteins
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can...
Globular and Fibrous Proteins
Globular proteins are also known as spheroproteins and typically are approximately round in shape. They contain a mix of amino acid types and contain differing sequences in their primary structures. Globular proteins have many different functions, such as enzymes, cellular messengers, and molecular transporters. These roles often require the proteins to be...
The Structure of Intermediate Filaments
Intermediate filaments...
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments
Elastin is Responsible for Tissue Elasticity
Ligaments and tendons are made of dense regular connective tissue, but in ligaments not all fibers are parallel. Dense regular elastic tissue contains elastin fibers and...
