GoKawiilSan Diego State study maps how spider silk dope forms via protein condensates
Researchers led by chemist Gregory Holland at San Diego State University used atomic-level imaging to show how the liquid protein mixture in spider silk glands, known as silk dope, reorganizes into semiliquid droplets called condensates before hardening into solid silk fiber. The work details the molecular steps spiders use to convert a soup of proteins, water and salt into a fiber tougher than Kevlar and stronger than steel.