Collaborate Disseminate
The complex molecular structure of spider silk has been successfully copied as scientists spin silk from an artificial gland that mimics nature’s process of producing one of the world’s toughest fibers. Scientists believe this breakthrough is a huge st… Continue reading Artificial spider gland spins scalable spider silk just like nature
Spider silk is widely known to be one of nature’s strongest and toughest materials. If everything works out as intended, an alfalfa-produced synthetic version of the stuff will be used in the construction of the Velozzi Hypercar … only 100 of which wil… Continue reading Velozzi Hypercar will have a body boosted by spider silk
An effective drug to stop potentially fatal cell damage in heart attack and ischemic stroke is one step closer to reality, after the K’gari funnel-web spider venom molecule Hi1a met critical benchmarks on its road to human trials.Continue ReadingCatego… Continue reading Deadly spider’s life-saving heart and stroke drug set for clinical trial
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading causes of vision loss in Americans over 60, affecting nearly 20 million people. In AMD, eyesight deteriorates in the central region of vision, meaning everyday tasks like driving, reading and seeing… Continue reading Hungry spiders offer insights into nutrition and age-related vision loss
According to Japanese robotics firm TMSUK, there’s currently a shortage of sewer-inspection workers in that country. The company has therefore set out to streamline the workload for existing workers, by developing a sewage-pipe-inspecting robotic spide… Continue reading Robotic spider could soon be inspecting Japanese sewage pipes
As one of the strongest materials known to science, spider silk regularly finds itself at the center of exciting engineering breakthroughs, and a new study involving a quick chemical bath could take this research into new terrain. Scientists have devel… Continue reading Chemically bathed silkworm silk is 70% stronger than spider silk
Robot arms and grippers do important work every hour of every day. They’re used in production lines around the world, toiling virtually ceaselessly outside of their designated maintenance windows. They’re …read more Continue reading Dead Spider Becomes Robot Gripper: It’s Necrobotics!
While we’ve seen a number of robotic grippers inspired by various animals, US scientists have now taken a much more “direct” approach. They’ve devised a method of of using actual dead spiders to delicately grasp small objects.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading “Necrobotics” tech uses spider carcasses as robotic grippers
Last year, we heard how anole lizards are able to breathe underwater from an air bubble on their nose. One of the scientists involved in that study has now documented a spider doing something similar – although the bubble covers its whole body.Continue… Continue reading Spider uses film of air to hide underwater for over half an hour
We know spider silk carries some amazing capabilities, with its light weight, incredible elasticity and a status as one of nature’s strongest materials. Scientists have made another extraordinary discovery in this area, finding that orb-weaving spiders… Continue reading Spiders found to extend their hearing by using webs as giant audio arrays