Cryo-ET comparison of the hierarchical ultrastructure of silkworm, spider, and artificial silk fibers - PubMed
4 days ago
- #silk fibers
- #biomimetic materials
- #cryo-electron tomography
- Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) used to study the ultrastructure of silkworm, spider, and artificial silk fibers.
- Silkworm silk features nanofibrils (~3.6 nm diameter) interconnected by bridges, forming a herringbone pattern.
- Spider silk shows densely packed nanofibrils with near-perfect axial alignment and minimal voids.
- Artificial silk lacks the ordered packing seen in natural silks, highlighting structural differences.
- Findings provide insights into silk formation and potential for biomimetic fiber design.