Spider silk 'superpowers' reveal path to stronger aircraft materials

Researchers from King’s College London and San Diego State University have uncovered the molecular basis behind spider silk’s extraordinary strength and toughness, surpassing steel and Kevlar. They identified that specific amino acids, arginine and tyrosine, act as “molecular stickers” or glue, triggering the assembly of silk proteins from a liquid protein solution into solid, ultra-strong fibers. Using advanced techniques such as AlphaFold3 modeling, molecular simulations, and NMR spectroscopy, the team revealed that these amino acid interactions initiate and maintain the nanostructure responsible for spider silk’s exceptional mechanical properties. This discovery provides a detailed atomistic explanation of how disordered proteins self-organize into high-performance materials. Beyond material science, the study offers intriguing parallels between spider silk formation and human biological processes, particularly those involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The molecular mechanisms that enable spider silk proteins to transition from liquid to solid states resemble the protein phase transitions seen in human brain disorders, where protein aggregation disrupts