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Silk proteins present in other spider silk types are also occasionally referred to as spidroin. These include tubuliform silk protein (TuSP), flagelliform silk protein (Flag; O44358 - Q9NHW4 - O44359 ), minor ampullate silk proteins (MiSp; K4MTL7 ), aciniform silk protein (AcSP), pyriform silk protein (PySp) and aggregate silk glue (ASG2/AgSp).
Spider silk is a protein fibre or silk spun by spiders. Spiders use silk to make webs or other structures that function as adhesive traps to catch prey, to entangle and restrain prey before biting, to transmit tactile information, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring.
Spider silk fibril is composed of stiff crystallized β-sheets structure, responsible for strength, and amorphous matrix surrounding, improving toughness and elongation ability. [16] It has exceptionally high tensile strength and ductility, with respectively low density, compared to other natural fibril.
The silk is a complex form of protein fiber that starts off as a protein-rich liquid and then dries into solid filaments, thanks to spinnerets, an external portion of spider glands.
These mechanical changes to the processing and handling of the Company's spider silk cocoons resulted in a near doubling of reeling efficiency compared to the prior production runs. "Increasing processing efficiency and cocoon yield was one of Kraig's top three goals for increasing production," said Company founder and CEO, Kim Thompson.
BioSteel was a trademark name for a high-strength fiber-based material made of the recombinant spider silk-like protein extracted from the milk of transgenic goats, made by defunct Montreal-based company Nexia Biotechnologies, and later by the Randy Lewis lab of the University of Wyoming and Utah State University. [1]
Kim Kraig Thompson, a retired lawyer, invented the protein expression platform in 2002, which would become the basis for Kraig Lab's work with spider silk. [3] He founded Kraig Biocraft Laboratories in April 2006 to develop and commercialize spider silks and other high-performance polymers gene and sequences using platform technology in combination with genetic engineering concepts.
The length of the silk fiber depends on how it has been prepared. Since the cocoon is made of one strand, if the cocoon is unwound carefully the fibers can be very long. Spider silk is the strongest natural fiber known. The strongest dragline silk is five times stronger than steel and three times tougher than Kevlar.