ABSTRACT
Silks are naturally produced protein polymers synthesized and processed into fibers by a variety of insects and spiders. The functions of silks include web construction and prey capture, reproduction, and safety lines. Silk fibers are composed of a lament core, silk broin, and a glue-like coating consisting of a family of sericin proteins. The most widely studied silks are cocoon silk from the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori and the dragline silks from spiders such as Areneus diadematus and Nephila clavipes. Mechanistic insight has been developed into how silk broin solutions are processed to insoluble fibers by various organisms. The process involves spinning a highly concentrated silk broin solution in a non-Newtonian liquid crystalline state, where the silk broins are lubricated and stabilized by water through micelle-like structures as a result of phase separation due to silk broin’s intrinsic hydrophilichydrophobic blocks.
