Spider silk: When spiders are the source of silk
It is possible to produce silk without silkworms. But the problem is that there is still a lack of accuracy and completeness. Not all species of spiders can produce silk. Particular species of spiders can produce strong silk in this case. Spiders Specialize in continuous weaving techniques and the ability to weave nets with extraordinary geometric knowledge. At the same time, this formula is much stronger and more resilient than other naturally occurring fibers. Spider silk is even more potent than the synthetic yarn called Kevlar, used to make bulletproof jackets.
The spin rate is usually located on the back of the abdomen and looks angular or finger-like. Most spiders have about two pairs of spinners (2 to 8 depending on the species) on the hindquarters. Each spin-rate has a part called a stopper through which this formula comes out. But it is no longer possible to weave a net with liquid protein yarn. So, their spin rate has a subsequent polishing system, which changes the molecular structure of this liquid protein and rearranges it. As a result of this change, complex formulas come out.
When liquid protein enters this part, the cells remove water from the protein and separate the hydrogen. As a result, it becomes a kind of acidic medium. It causes liquid proteins to turn into solid proteins. Spiders usually weave nets for their habitat or food. So, this mesh or the thread of the mesh should be such that it can absorb the maximum amount of damage when the insect hits it. It can be called a special blessing of nature. And this exceptional quality sets it apart from other fibers.
As well as another notable feature is its subtlety. It means that it is beautiful compared to other fibers, and its mass is also very light. So light that the mass of a spider’s web would require a long continuous thread to encircle the whole earth at once.
There is no doubt that spider thread is strong and resilient. The problem is how to extract and produce this yarn. Cultivating spiders is not as easy as cultivating ordinary silkworms. Because not all species of spiders can have this strong yarn, on the other hand, spiders cannot always provide the same type of yarn. The most challenging problem is that spiders are not colonized animals. So, it is impossible to cultivate them together.
On the other hand, researchers are also trying to make spider thread artificially in the laboratory. But the big challenge for them now is making liquid proteins more complex and more robust because they occur in a unique process in the body of a spider.
We still have to do a lot of research and wait to make it artificial. In this case, the device used to extract the yarn from the spider can extract the yarn of 24 spiders at once. This extraction is done without any harm to the spider. From the extracted yarn, it can be seen that the amount of yarn obtained from 14,000 spiders would be about one ounce if the mass were too much, and the mass of the woven fabric was about 2.6 pounds. That means they will be significantly lighter than other fibers.
But despite having so many unique features, we have to rely only on natural spiders as no method of cultivating spiders has been discovered. Although the yarn is extracted continuously from natural spiders, the yarn obtained after extracting a certain amount of yarn is not as rigid and elastic as the previous yarn. Suitable people are also needed to catch spiders because the fear of spider bites is enough.
Again, except for the rainy season, the spiders of this particular species do not produce their special kind of silk. Once the silk is extracted, the spider takes about a week to make new strong yarn.
Researchers are therefore constantly trying to figure out how to make spider silk in the laboratory. But some problems remain. Because scientists have not fully discovered the actual gene sequence of this silk, if it is found, it may be possible to get a large amount of silk by placing it in the body of other microorganisms, which will be robust and readily available at the same time.