University of Akron: Spider silk spinning ideas for researchers

AKRON -- Researchers at the University of Akron are focusing their attention on spider silk and its possible applications. Spider silk is three times stronger than Kevlar, the material used in many bullet proof vests.

An individual spider produces many different kinds of threads. Some can be as flexible as rubber bands, others can mimic the strength of steel. When exposed to humidity their performance can be up to 50 times greater than that of human muscle.

All that variety has researchers' dreaming up seemingly limitless ways to apply synthetic spider silk to everyday life.

Researcher at U of A say they could see applications in the creation of synthetic muscle tissue or new drug delivery systems, the creation of high performance sports clothing and medical bandages or even green energy production.

There are a number of laboratories currently working to synthesize spider silk.

The research made the cover story in the June 12 Journal of Experimental Biology.