Spider Saccodomus formivorusweaves silk that is uniquely tough and so durable that the mesh basket cannot
“As far as we know, no other spideris building such a network, ”said Professor Mark Elgar of the University of Melbourne's School of Biosciences. "This silk retains its stiffness, allowing it to create a deadly ant trap."
Collaboration between the University of Melbourne andThe University of Bayreuth with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization is likely to generate a lot of interest. A recent study found that the silk used to create the basket webs is similar to the silk that many spider species use to wrap their brood against the weather and enemies.
The web spider is found only in Australia.Its basket has a diameter of approximately 11 mm and a depth of 14 mm. The nature of the silk was revealed by the Australian Synchrotron, a national facility of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization in the southeast of Melbourne. The Australian Synchrotron is a 3 GeV electron accelerator and a specialized source of synchrotron X-ray radiation with a critical photon energy of 7.8 KeV.
Professor Thomas Scheibel of the University of Bayreuth stated that the stiffness of silk appears to be the result of a synergistic arrangement of microfibers and submicron fibers.
“Nature has created a complex structure thatAt first glance, it resembles commercially produced composites, ”explains Professor Scheibel, who led the study from Germany. “Further studies, however, have shown that they are chemically different components, and together their properties lead to the extreme elasticity and toughness of the yarn. This is what ensures the high degree of strength of the web. "
Although there is much to be doneworking to understand the molecular details of silk, Professor Scheibel said there is potential interest in new genetic material that can be produced in a scalable manner.
“An interesting feature is the hightransverse stiffness, as well as adhesives, which may be useful in various designs, but it will take some time before this becomes possible, ”the scientists conclude.
Read also
Research: Earth's ecology has changed dramatically over the past 70 years
Scientists have changed the structure of the solar battery and increased its efficiency by 125%
On day 3 of illness, most COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell and often suffer from a runny nose