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Synthetic Spider Silk Production on a Laboratory Scale
Published on: July 18, 2012
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Spiders spinning electrically charged nano-fibres
Katrin Kronenberger1, Fritz Vollrath2
1Oxford Silk Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
Biology Letters
|January 30, 2015
Summary
Certain spiders, like Uloborus plumipes, spin unique nano-scale fibers using a specialized cribellar silk system. This differs from typical spider silk production, enabling the creation of ultra-fine capture threads.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Arachnology
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Most spider silks range from micrometre to sub-micrometre scales.
- True nano-scale fiber production is rare in spiders, with cribellate orb weavers being an exception.
- Understanding spider silk extrusion mechanisms is key to biomimetic material design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the specialized silk-spinning system of the cribellate orb spider, Uloborus plumipes.
- To compare the nano-fiber extrusion system with standard spider dragline silk production.
- To elucidate the functional design and requirements for nano-scale fibril spinning.
Main Methods:
- Morphological analysis of the cribellar silk glands, ducts, and spigots.
- Comparative study of Uloborus plumipes' silk system with typical spider dragline systems.
- Functional design analysis of the gland-duct-spigot system for nano-fiber extrusion.
Main Results:
- The cribellar silk system features numerous tiny glands with long, narrow ducts leading to uniquely shaped spigots.
- Hundreds to thousands of these spigots are located on the cribellum, a primitive spinning plate.
- This specialized direct spinning mechanism facilitates the production of nano-scale fibers, distinct from the 'aqua-melt' system of other spiders.
Conclusions:
- The cribellar silk gland-duct-spigot system is a highly specialized adaptation for producing nano-scale fibers.
- The unique design of this system addresses specific requirements for spinning ultra-fine specialist fibrils.
- Evolution has favored a direct spinning method in cribellate spiders for nano-fiber generation.
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