Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM
Adhesive materials used by many arthropods for biological functions incorporate sticky substances and a supporting material that operate synergistically by exploiting substrate attachment and energy dissipation. While there has been much focus on the composition and properties of the sticky glues of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/12/3500 |
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| author | Dakota Piorkowski Bo-Ching He Sean J. Blamires I-Min Tso Deborah M. Kane |
| author_facet | Dakota Piorkowski Bo-Ching He Sean J. Blamires I-Min Tso Deborah M. Kane |
| author_sort | Dakota Piorkowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Adhesive materials used by many arthropods for biological functions incorporate sticky substances and a supporting material that operate synergistically by exploiting substrate attachment and energy dissipation. While there has been much focus on the composition and properties of the sticky glues of these bio-composites, less attention has been given to the materials that support them. In particular, as these materials are primarily responsible for dissipation during adhesive pull-off, little is known of the structures that give rise to functionality, especially at the nano-scale. In this study we used tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) to analyze unstretched and stretched glowworm (<i>Arachnocampa tasmaniensis</i>) capture threads and revealed nano-scale features corresponding to variation in surface structure and elastic modulus near the surface of the silk. Phase images demonstrated a high resolution of viscoelastic variation and revealed mostly globular and elongated features in the material. Increased vertical orientation of 11–15 nm wide fibrillar features was observed in stretched threads. Fast Fourier transform analysis of phase images confirmed these results. Relative viscoelastic properties were also highly variable at inter- and intra-individual levels. Results of this study demonstrate the practical usefulness of TM-AFM, especially phase angle imaging, in investigating the nano-scale structures that give rise to macro-scale function of soft and highly heterogeneous materials of both natural and synthetic origins. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:35:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-219871c1530a42c18e6064120e2374f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:35:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-219871c1530a42c18e6064120e2374f82023-11-21T23:18:50ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492021-06-012612350010.3390/molecules26123500Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFMDakota Piorkowski0Bo-Ching He1Sean J. Blamires2I-Min Tso3Deborah M. Kane4Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, TaiwanCenter for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 30011, TaiwanEvolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaDepartment of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, TaiwanDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaAdhesive materials used by many arthropods for biological functions incorporate sticky substances and a supporting material that operate synergistically by exploiting substrate attachment and energy dissipation. While there has been much focus on the composition and properties of the sticky glues of these bio-composites, less attention has been given to the materials that support them. In particular, as these materials are primarily responsible for dissipation during adhesive pull-off, little is known of the structures that give rise to functionality, especially at the nano-scale. In this study we used tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) to analyze unstretched and stretched glowworm (<i>Arachnocampa tasmaniensis</i>) capture threads and revealed nano-scale features corresponding to variation in surface structure and elastic modulus near the surface of the silk. Phase images demonstrated a high resolution of viscoelastic variation and revealed mostly globular and elongated features in the material. Increased vertical orientation of 11–15 nm wide fibrillar features was observed in stretched threads. Fast Fourier transform analysis of phase images confirmed these results. Relative viscoelastic properties were also highly variable at inter- and intra-individual levels. Results of this study demonstrate the practical usefulness of TM-AFM, especially phase angle imaging, in investigating the nano-scale structures that give rise to macro-scale function of soft and highly heterogeneous materials of both natural and synthetic origins.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/12/3500biological materialheight image<i>Arachnocampa</i>biofiber |
| spellingShingle | Dakota Piorkowski Bo-Ching He Sean J. Blamires I-Min Tso Deborah M. Kane Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM Molecules biological material height image <i>Arachnocampa</i> biofiber |
| title | Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM |
| title_full | Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM |
| title_fullStr | Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM |
| title_short | Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM |
| title_sort | nanoscale material heterogeneity of glowworm capture threads revealed by afm |
| topic | biological material height image <i>Arachnocampa</i> biofiber |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/12/3500 |
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