Spiders produce up to six different types of silk that have extraordinary mechanical properties exceeding most other natural and synthetic fibers. Spider silk is composed almost entirely of protein and in the case of dragline silk from orb and cob weavers, contains two proteins. Thus, spider dragline silk can be referred to as nature's co-biopolymer. The origin of the silk's impressive mechanical properties lies in the molecular structure, dynamics and organization of the two proteins that make up the silk: major ampullate spidroin 1 (MaSp 1) and major ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp2). Our research group has made considerable strides in isotopically (2H/15N/13C) enriching a variety of silk fibers from a number of spider species enabling multi-nuclear, multi-dimensional solid-state NMR studies. Using advanced ssNMR methods along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and x-ray diffraction, we are able to get a detailed understanding of the molecular protein structure and dynamics of spider silks.

Elucidating the structure and dynamics in spider silks and related protein biopolymers using magnetic resonance

245th National Meeting (2013)

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