Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies
Wearable fabrics are predominantly produced from synthetic polymer fibers derived from petrochemicals. These have negative effects on the natural environment as a consequence of the manufacturing process, insurmountable waste production, and persistence of the fibers in ecosystems. With the use of w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmats.2020.00029/full |
| _version_ | 1818524027477557248 |
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| author | Sean J. Blamires Patrick T. Spicer Patricia J. Flanagan |
| author_facet | Sean J. Blamires Patrick T. Spicer Patricia J. Flanagan |
| author_sort | Sean J. Blamires |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wearable fabrics are predominantly produced from synthetic polymer fibers derived from petrochemicals. These have negative effects on the natural environment as a consequence of the manufacturing process, insurmountable waste production, and persistence of the fibers in ecosystems. With the use of wearables worldwide set to increase exponentially, more environmentally friendly fibers are sought. Natural fibers such as spider silk are produced using proteins in a water solvent, yet they have many superior qualities to synthetic fibers. Moreover, spiders can tune their silk properties as their ecological circumstances demand it. Research focused on the biomimetic potential of spider silks with an eye on the development of smart wearable fibers is accordingly a potentially lucrative area of research. There are nonetheless major challenges associated, including recovering the original mechanical performance within the fibers developed, scaling up production, keeping the production costs of the silk building blocks to a minimum, elucidating, and understanding the different silk genome sequences, and creating precision artificial spinning processes. We outline herein a template for a working framework for a spider silk biomimetics program that can inform designers and biological researchers alike. It suggests that an objective-focused research program utilizing a cross-disciplinary toolbox of top-down and bottom-up techniques is required. We close by providing some speculative examples stemming from current activities in our laboratories. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:52:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-258a36fbf25b4197b56eabafb2f4b97a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-8016 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:52:06Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-258a36fbf25b4197b56eabafb2f4b97a2022-12-22T01:18:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Materials2296-80162020-02-01710.3389/fmats.2020.00029505601Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable TechnologiesSean J. Blamires0Patrick T. Spicer1Patricia J. Flanagan2The Spider Silk Research Lab, Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaComplex Fluids Group, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaFaculty of Art and Design, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaWearable fabrics are predominantly produced from synthetic polymer fibers derived from petrochemicals. These have negative effects on the natural environment as a consequence of the manufacturing process, insurmountable waste production, and persistence of the fibers in ecosystems. With the use of wearables worldwide set to increase exponentially, more environmentally friendly fibers are sought. Natural fibers such as spider silk are produced using proteins in a water solvent, yet they have many superior qualities to synthetic fibers. Moreover, spiders can tune their silk properties as their ecological circumstances demand it. Research focused on the biomimetic potential of spider silks with an eye on the development of smart wearable fibers is accordingly a potentially lucrative area of research. There are nonetheless major challenges associated, including recovering the original mechanical performance within the fibers developed, scaling up production, keeping the production costs of the silk building blocks to a minimum, elucidating, and understanding the different silk genome sequences, and creating precision artificial spinning processes. We outline herein a template for a working framework for a spider silk biomimetics program that can inform designers and biological researchers alike. It suggests that an objective-focused research program utilizing a cross-disciplinary toolbox of top-down and bottom-up techniques is required. We close by providing some speculative examples stemming from current activities in our laboratories.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmats.2020.00029/fullbiomimeticsspider silkenvironmentally sustainable manufacturingstructure-function propertieswearable technology |
| spellingShingle | Sean J. Blamires Patrick T. Spicer Patricia J. Flanagan Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies Frontiers in Materials biomimetics spider silk environmentally sustainable manufacturing structure-function properties wearable technology |
| title | Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies |
| title_full | Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies |
| title_fullStr | Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies |
| title_short | Spider Silk Biomimetics Programs to Inform the Development of New Wearable Technologies |
| title_sort | spider silk biomimetics programs to inform the development of new wearable technologies |
| topic | biomimetics spider silk environmentally sustainable manufacturing structure-function properties wearable technology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmats.2020.00029/full |
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