Mapping Amino Acids on Protein Fibers Bioengineering Creative Inquiry Application
Spider silk is a unique and somewhat mysterious biological molecule in that extensive information on its mechanical and surface properties have eluded scientists. The ultimate goal of fabricating synthetic fibers with properties that resemble spider silk starts with understanding the properties which make these fibers unique. The mechanical properties of the spider silk are studied using various tensile tests of the fiber. Through the use of atomic force microscopy, information concerning the silks surface and internal structures can be revealed. Other properties like the tendency of the silk to super contract upon interaction with a solvent are also studied on this project. To the right are a few images of our work. The first image shows a sample of dragline silk that is being prepared for AFM imaging. The second is an image of the spinnerets of a spider and the actual silking process. The last image is an AFM scan of the silk fiber and it shows the topography of the silk surface.
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