Biomaterials have had an increasingly important role in recent decades, in biomedical
device design and the development of tissue engineering solutions for cell delivery, drug …

Humans have long appreciated silk for its lustrous appeal and remarkable physical
properties, yet as the mysteries of silk are unraveled, it becomes clear that this outstanding …

Robust damage-tolerant hydrogel fibers with high strength, crack resistance, and self-
healing properties are indispensable for their long-term uses in soft machines and robots as …

Silk is a unique, remarkably strong biomaterial made of simple protein building blocks. To
date, no synthetic method has come close to reproducing the properties of natural silk, due …

There is an urgent need to improve the sustainability of the materials we produce and use.
Here, we explore what humans can learn from nature about how to sustainably fabricate …

Spiders and silkworms generate silk protein fibers that embody strength and beauty. Orb
webs are fascinating feats of bioengineering in nature, displaying magnificent architectures …

Phase change materials have garnered extensive interest in heat harvesting and utilization
owing to their high energy storage density and isothermal phase transition. Nevertheless …

Silks play a crucial role in the survival and reproduction of many insects. Labial glands,
Malpighian tubules, and a variety of dermal glands have evolved to produce these silks. The …

Spider silk threads are formed by the irreversible aggregation of silk proteins in a spinning
duct with dimensions of only a few micrometers. Here, we present a microfluidic device in …

Silkworms and spiders generate fibers that exhibit high strength and extensibility. The
underlying mechanisms involved in processing silk proteins into fiber form remain …