Skip to main content

SPECIALTY GRAND CHALLENGE article

Front. Arachn. Sci., 15 January 2024
Sec. Arachnid Genetics and Biomaterials

Grand challenges in arachnid genetics and biomaterials

  • 1School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • 2Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • 3School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia


1 Introduction

Arachnids, particularly spiders, flourish in abundance within most ecosystems (Blamires et al., 2007; Oxbrough and Ziesche, 2013; Henneken et al., 2022; Agnarsson, 2023; Fonseca-Ferreira et al., 2023). Arachnids such as spiders, scorpions and mites create and/or secrete a range of biomaterials, including silks, glues, adhesives, nano-fibres, venoms and other toxins, and chitin associated molecules used to form sensory systems, armour, body colouration/luminescence, and locomotion (Kuntner, 2022). Studies focusing on the evolutionary and ecological aspects of these kinds of arachnid secretory products have established that extended phenotypic features enable arachnids their immense niche flexibility (Agnarsson et al., 2010; Blamires et al., 2012a; Blamires and Tso, 2013; Blamires et al., 2017a; Blamires et al., 2017b; Lacava et al., 2018; Viera et al., 2019; Henneken et al., 2022; Kuntner, 2022). Nonetheless, the genetic features and the expression patterns implicit in facilitating this flexibility remain largely unexplored.

Spiders readily build webs and/or produce silks in the laboratory, either by laying their threads onto a collecting platform or by force reeling using anaesthesia and a spooling mechanism (Blamires et al., 2012a; Blamires et al., 2012b; Blamires et al., 2015; Blamires et al., 2016a; Benamú et al., 2017; Blamires et al., 2018; Lacava et al., 2018; Blamires, 2022). Studies thus exploiting this have established a strong body of background knowledge about spider web and silk structural and functional variability across nano to macro scales (Vollrath and Porter, 2006a; Kluge et al., 2008; Porter and Vollrath, 2009; Blamires, 2010; Blamires et al., 2016b; Blamires, 2022; Blamires et al., 2022).

The genetic expression patterns for certain components of specific silks have now been sequenced for selected species of spiders (Babb et al., 2017; Garb et al., 2019; Kono et al., 2019), and a database of genetic and molecular structures and bulk fibre functions for the major ampullate (dragline) silks of over 1000+ spider species has been compiled (Arakawa et al., 2022). Nevertheless, such a strong body of knowledge does not exist for the other arachnid biomaterials (but see López-Cabrera et al., 2020; Lozano-Pérez et al., 2020, and Machałowski et al., 2020 for detailed reviews on cuticular structural materials, scorpion fluorescent molecules, and mite silks).

The accumulated work on spider silk means we now understand the genetic mechanisms by which environmental factors can affect differential protein (in spiders these are called spidroins, a portmanteau of spider fibroins) expression and biomaterial production, and the intricate complexity of these on phenotypic and extended phenotypic expressions. Recent advancements in genetic and other experimental (see Sane and McHenry, 2009; Craig et al., 2019; Craig et al., 2022; Blamires et al., 2023a) and computational (e.g. Blamires and Sellers, 2019; Craig et al., 2020; von Reumont et al., 2022) tools mean that we can form solid testable hypotheses to explain the evolutionary trajectories of spiders and other arachnids, and how the expressed biomaterial products, including various types of silks, glues, venoms, cuticular molecules and pigments, influence those trajectories (Piorkowski and Blackledge, 2017; von Reumont et al., 2022); Joel et al., 2023).

Here I review three identified grand challenges (there are certainly more; see Kuntner, 2022; Agnarsson, 2023) in arachnid genetics and biomaterials relevant for this specialty section of Frontiers in Arachnid Science. They being: (1) Arachnid whole genome, transcriptome, and proteome sequencing and annotating, (2) Research on arachnid biomaterials as inspiration for new synthetic materials, and (3) the production and use of synthetic products inspired by arachnid biomaterials. My review focuses on work on spider silk. This is purely because it is the field where my own research has focused. Other arachnid biomaterials and applications of arachnid genetics are nonetheless of equal importance, and papers on these subjects will certainly be included in this specialty section of Frontiers in Arachnid Science.

2 Grand challenge 1. arachnid whole genome, transcriptome, proteome sequencing and annotating

Modern genomics methodologies have combined with advanced bioinformatics and allowed us to understand much about the diversity and evolutionary trajectories of complex organisms (McGuire et al., 2020). There are many areas where these technologies have the potential to exert an enormous scientific impact in arachnid research. These include: (i) managing and integrating large genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets, (ii) interpreting the functional significance of unique or specialized arachnid genes and proteins, and (iii) applying genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic methodologies to the study of arachnid structural biomaterials.

2.1 Management and integration of large genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets

Managing and integrating vast amounts of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, including trait specific or whole genome or transcriptome data (e.g. Sanggaard et al., 2014; Babb et al., 2017; Garb et al., 2019; Kono et al., 2019; Correa-Garhwal et al., 2020) from different arachnid species poses substantial challenges (Garb et al., 2018; Agnarsson, 2023). The sheer diversity of extant arachnid species unfortunately introduces multiple complexities into any attempts to standardize and normalize genomic data derived from a variety of sources (Garb et al., 2018; Peng et al., 2020; Arakawa et al., 2022). Proteomics analyses present additional complexities when working with arachnids, depending on the proteomes in question (Ayoub et al., 2013; Haney et al., 2014; Peng et al., 2020; Arakawa et al., 2021). Silk proteomes, for example, are extremely challenging to sequence and assemble due to the similarities of protein architectures across silk types and the extreme length and highly repetitive nature of most of the silk proteins (Ayoub et al., 2007; Liu and Zhang, 2011; Vasanthavada et al., 2012; Vienneau-Hathaway et al., 2017; Garb et al., 2018; Arakawa et al., 2021; Frandsen et al., 2023).

The distinctive genomic variations that different arachnid species exhibit make it difficult to establish a common analytical framework. Moreover, the scale of data generated when utilizing multiple -omics approaches necessitate the use of extremely sophisticated bioinformatics, advanced computational tools (including deep learning algorithms and AI) and vast storage infrastructures (Lischer and Excoffier, 2012; Sanggaard et al., 2014; dos Santos-Pinto et al., 2016; Arakawa et al., 2022; Stephan et al., 2022). The lack of any comprehensive genomic reference material for many arachnid species adds additional layers of difficulty for conducting meaningful comparative analyses (Garb et al., 2018; Zhu et al., 2023). As such, the underlying genetic structure and its subsequent expression patterns had been overtly simplified for arachnid biomaterials, such as silk and venom (Haney et al., 2014; Sanggaard et al., 2014; Malay et al., 2022; Frandsen et al., 2023; Zhu et al., 2023), which has hampered efforts aimed at mapping the evolutionary trajectories of silk development in spiders, and the creation of new silk or venom-like materials using recombinant and/or cloning technologies (Rising et al., 2005; Humenik et al., 2011; Heidebrecht et al., 2015; Malay et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2023).

2.2 Interpreting the functional significance of unique arachnid genes and proteins

Of the available full-length spidroin genomes assembled, only one, that for velvet spider spidroins (Sanggaard et al., 2014), was assembled using short-read sequences alone. The others have all relied upon long-read sequencing to some extent (Babb et al., 2017; Schwager et al., 2017; Garb et al., 2019; Kono et al., 2019; Adams et al., 2023; Wen et al., 2023). While long-read sequencing provide additional information that short reads do not, such as the details of nucleotide point mutations (Amarasinghe et al., 2020), there are many formidable challenges faced when applying long-read sequencing procedures to map whole genomes, particularly those associated with arachnid silk or venom proteins (Sánchez-Herrero et al., 2019; Amarasinghe et al., 2020; Fan et al., 2021; Sheffer et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2021; Zhu et al., 2023). In arachnid silkomics or venomics the challenges are exacerbated by the extensive variation present in motif length, repeating patterns, and allele orders, particularly among silk and venom genes (Arakawa et al., 2002; Clarke et al., 2014; Haney et al., 2014; Rao et al., 2022). For instance, spiders and mites exhibit a remarkable diversity in their silk producing genes (Arakawa et al., 2021; Arakawa et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2023). The intricate motif size and composition variations are thought to directly contribute to their unique mechanical properties, yet few studies have directly assessed silk and/or venom genomic and transcriptomic variance side-by-side within the same spiders (Blamires et al., 2018; Collin et al., 2018; Arakawa et al., 2022).

2.3 Applying genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic methodologies to the study of arachnid structural biomaterials

The intricate interplay in place between the environment and genetic and epigenetic regulation adds an additional layer of complexity (Shendure and Ji, 2008), thus making it challenging to isolate and comprehend the specific functions of individual genes (Pigliucci, 2007). The highly specialized nature of some specific adaptations of arachnids might further complicate the task of identifying any genetic-environment (G x E) interactions, especially when it comes to applying genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic information to understand the functional evolution of secreted biomaterials. Ecosystem engineering and niche construction mechanisms might, additionally, induce ecological feedback loops that could drive the evolution of extremely diverse features (Laland et al., 1999; Beckerman et al., 2016). Research that tackles integrating arachnid genomics, transcriptomics, and mechanistic analyses is thus needed to unravel the nuanced relationships between the environment, genetics, genetic expression, and various extended phenotypic traits.

3 Grand challenge 2. researching arachnid biomaterials as inspiration for new synthetics

Most synthetic plastic materials used by humans today build up in landfill and seep into the terrestrial and aquatic environment at alarming rates. These pollutants flow freely into the food chains of all ecosystems on Earth, including those utilized by humans. We accordingly may consider ourselves in a plastic pollution crisis (De Falco et al., 2018). Examining the functionality of natural materials appears to be the best way forward for designing new manufacturing innovations (Wolff et al., 2017a; Blamires et al., 2020; Stuart-Fox et al., 2023). Nevertheless, the question remains: where can we find examples of high performing natural materials to inspire the creation of these new functional biomaterials (Stuart-Fox et al., 2023)?

Spiders produce multiple types of silk, each of which are renowned for their unique and impressive mechanical and other properties. Spider silks thus represent a valuable source of inspiration for new low energy, high performance, biomaterials (Vollrath and Porter, 2009; Abdalla et al., 2017; Numata, 2021). A particular set of spider silk proteins, the major ampullate spidroins, or MaSps, has received a significant amount of attention from researchers (Vollrath and Porter, 2006b; Vollrath and Porter, 2009; Humenik et al., 2011; Blamires et al., 2017a; Numata, 2021; Li et al., 2022). This is because the major ampullate, or dragline, silk fibres they compose into show strength and toughness measurements comparable to those of the most extremely high performing synthetic fibres, including Kevlar and aramid fibres (Blamires et al., 2020). The properties of major ampullate silk come about as a consequence of the silk proteins stacking into crystalline pleated β-sheets interspersed with ‘amorphous’ proteins forming into random and β-coils, α-helices, and 310 helical structures (Tokareva et al., 2014; Blamires et al., 2017a; Liu and Zhang, 2011; Htut et al., 2021; Kono et al., 2021). The crystalline region bestows the silk its strength while the amorphous proteins give it extensibility. It is these unique secondary structure arrangements that give major ampullate its immense toughness (Htut et al., 2021; Blamires, 2022). This model is supported by findings that when spiders are placed on different diets, variations in crystalline and amorphous region structures correlate strongly with variations in bulk fibre properties (Craig et al., 2000; Tso et al., 2007; Blamires and Tso, 2013; Blamires et al., 2015; Blamires et al., 2017a; Blamires et al., 2018). Nevertheless, when scaled down to the atomistic level, no such correlations hold (Van Beek et al., 2002; Romer and Scheibel, 2008; Koebley et al., 2017; Blamires et al., 2022). We do not know why there is a disjunction between the nanoscale and bulk fibre properties (Blamires et al., 2022; Craig et al., 2022). More research is clearly needed to better understand how silk properties are induced across the different scales.

4 Grand challenge 3. production and use of arachnid inspired synthetic products

The plastic pollution crisis and other environmental sustainability issues have prompted researchers to seek inspiration from the natural world for the development of new materials for a diversity of useful properties (Lefèvre and Auger, 2016; Wolff et al., 2017a; Stuart-Fox et al., 2023). Spider silk, due to its impressive strength, toughness, and durability, and its synthesis from water and proteins, is one of the most popular natural materials being touted as an inspiration in the development of plastic replacements, and other environmentally friendly manufacturing applications (Blamires, 2022). There have recently been some significant advances in this field. For instance, a spider silk inspired polymeric amyloid fibre has been developed that exhibits strength and resilience on a par with that of spider silk (Li et al., 2021), thus presenting opportunities for developing new protective aerospace and military clothing, medical implants, environmental protection, and advanced electronics.

Supercontraction is a unique property of major ampullate silk, whereby the silk shrinks in length by up to 60% when wetted (Guinea et al., 2005; Blackledge et al., 2009; Blamires et al., 2012a; Madurga et al., 2016; Blamires et al., 2023b). This property is usually considered undesirable industrially and there is some expectation that advances in protein engineering will find a way to negate the property (Guinea et al., 2005; Meyer et al., 2014; Shi et al., 2014; Madurga et al., 2016). Nevertheless, harnessing it may be useful in some instances. For example, a spider silk inspired smart switch that can be incorporated into wearable products is being designed to utilize both supercontraction and the biocompatibility phenomena of spider silk (Blamires et al., 2020; Flanagan et al., 2023). Finding more innovative ways to explore, minimize, or exploit the entire performance space occupied by spider silks accordingly represents a significant and industrially important grand challenge in arachnid biomaterials science (Agnarsson et al., 2009; Wolff et al., 2017a; Blamires et al., 2020; Blamires, 2022).

Other areas where arachnids are increasingly being seen as an inspiration in the development of novel materials includes examining spider leg movement patterns for inspiration in the development of moving robot parts (Landkammer et al., 2016), likewise the hair-like structures of spider and harvestmen feet are inspiring new adhesives for use in climbing robots, sensors, space exploration, and footwear (Wolff et al., 2014; Wolff et al., 2016; Wolff et al., 2017b; Borijindakul  et al., 2021), and scorpion fluorescence molecules are inspiring the design and synthesis of molecular switches, chelates, and other therapeutic molecules (Samundeeswari et al., 2021).

4.1 Recombinant technologies and synthetic spider silk

The production of spider silk using recombinant technologies offers a sustainable alternative to traditional silk harvesting and addresses some ethical and environmental concerns associated with silk production (Karthik and Rathinamoorthy, 2017; Edlund et al., 2018). It has made some significant technological inroads of late, with full length MaSp2 proteins (other MaSp proteins are proving difficult for hosts to handle; Heidebrecht et al., 2015; Cao et al., 2017; Malay et al., 2022) being successfully expressed within a range of host organisms, including different bacteria, yeast, and tobacco plants (Ramezaniaghdam et al., 2022). This work shows that there is potential for the scalable and cost-effective production of synthetic spider silks in the very near future. Spinning the recombinant proteins into fibres that perform as well as spider silk fibres is nonetheless still proving to be significantly difficult. Some recent advances in microfluidic wet and dry spinning methodologies, such as computer-aided wet spinning, rotary microfluidic wet spinning, and channel-based wet spinning techniques, show excellent potential for creating bespoke fibrous materials from recombinant proteins (Lefèvre and Auger, 2016; Koeppel and Holland, 2017; Rohani Shirvan et al., 2022). With the continuing advancement of such technologies, it is highly likely that arachnids and their biomaterial products will inspire the production of a wide array of new functional materials (Koeppel and Holland, 2017).

5 Conclusion

I outlined herein three identified grand challenges in arachnid genetics and biomaterials: (1) Arachnid whole genome, transcriptome, and proteome sequencing and annotating, (2) research on arachnid biomaterials as inspiration for new synthetic materials, and (3) the production and use of synthetic products inspired by arachnid biomaterials. A theme prevalent across each of these challenges is they involve managing and integrating large datasets, and interpreting the functional significance of unique arachnid genes and proteins, and their products. Solving issues around scaling up functionality when creating novel materials presents an ongoing challenge, as does exploring all the potential practical applications of arachnid biomaterial inspired synthetic materials. I touched on recent advances in arachnid genetics and experimental tools, as well as computational methodologies, emphasizing the exciting potential for developing solid, testable hypotheses to explain the evolutionary trajectories of spiders and other arachnids. I reviewed the abovementioned challenges through the lens of spider silk research, but this is not by any means the only research field in which these three challenges apply. Only with truly interdisciplinary research (e.g. biologists working intently with engineers and vice versa) will it be possible to adequately address these challenges and unlock the full potential of arachnid-inspired materials.

Author contributions

SB: Conceptualization, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

References

Abdalla S., Al-Marzouki F., Bahabri F. (2017). Tailored spider silk: the future solution to biomaterials. J. Mater. Sci. Eng. 6, 375. doi: 10.4172/2169-0022.1000375

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Adams S. A., Graham N. R., Holmquist A. J., Sheffer M. M., Steigerwald E. C., Sahasrabudhe R., et al. (2023). Reference genome of the long-jawed orb-weaver, Tetragnatha versicolor (Araneae: Tetragnathidae). J. Hered. 114, 395–403. doi: 10.1093/jhered/esad013

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Agnarsson I. (2023). Grand challenges in research on arachnid diversity, conservation, and biogeography. Front. Arach. Sci. 2, 1101141. doi: 10.3389/frchs.2023.1101141

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Agnarsson I., Dhinojwala A., Sahni V., Blackledge T. A. (2009). Spider silk as a novel high performance biomimetic muscle driven by humidity. J. Exp. Biol. 212, 1990–1994. doi: 10.1242/jeb.028282

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Agnarsson I., Kuntner M., Blackledge T. A. (2010). Bioprospecting finds the toughest biological material: extraordinary silk from a giant riverine orb spider. PloS One 5, e11234. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011234

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Amarasinghe S. L., Su S., Dong X., Zappia L., Ritchie M. E., Gouil Q. (2020). Opportunities and challenges in long-read sequencing data analysis. Genom. Biol. 21, 30. doi: 10.1186/s13059-020-1935-5

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Arakawa K., Kono N., Malay A., Tateishi A., Ifuku N., Masunaga H., et al. (2022). 1000 spider silkomics: linking sequence to silk mechanical property. Sci. Adv. 41, eabo6043. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abo6043

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Arakawa K., Mori M., Kono N., Suzuki T., Gotoh T., Shimano S. (2021). Proteomic evidence for the silk fibroin genes of spider mites (Order Trombidiformes: Family Tetranychidae). J. Proteom. 239, 104195. doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104195

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Ayoub N. A., Garb J. E., Kuelbs A., Hayashi C. Y. (2013). Ancient properties of spider silks revealed by the complete gene sequence of the prey-wrapping silk protein (AcSp1). Mol. Biol. Evol. 30, 589–601.

PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar

Ayoub N. A., Garb J. E., Tinghitella R. M., Collin M. A., Hayashi C. Y. (2007). Blueprint for a high-performance biomaterial: full-length spider dragline silk genes. PloS One 2, e514. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000514

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Babb P. L., Lahens N. F., Correa-Garhwal S. M., Nicholson K. N., Kim E. J., Hogenesch J. B., et al. (2017). The Nephila clavipes genome highlights the diversity of spider silk genes and their complex expression. Nat. Genet. 49, 895–903. doi: 10.1038/ng.3852

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Beckerman A. P., Childs D. Z., Bergland A. O. (2016). Eco-evolutionary biology: feeding and feedback loops. Curr. Biol. 26, R161–R164. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.013

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Benamú M., Lacava M., Garcia L. F., Santana M., Fang J., Wang X., et al. (2017). Nanostructural and mechanical property changes in spider silk as a consequence of insecticide exposure. Chemosphere 181, 241–249. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.079

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blackledge T. A., Bountry C., Wong S.-C., Baji A., Dhinojwala A., Sahni V., et al. (2009). How super is supercontraction? Persistent versus cyclic responses to humidity in spider draglines. J. Exp. Biol. 212, 1981–1989. doi: 10.1242/jeb.028944

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J. (2010). Plasticity in extended phenotypes: orb spider web architectural responses to variations in prey parameters. J. Exp. Biol. 213, 3207–3212. doi: 10.1242/jeb.045583

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J. (2022). Silk: Exploring Nature’s Superfibre. (Sydney: XLIBRIS).

Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Blackledge T. A., Tso I. M. (2017a). Physico-chemical property variation in spider silks: ecology, evolution and synthetic production. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 62, 443–460. doi: 10.1146/annurev-ento-031616-035615

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Hasemore M., Martens P. J., Kasumovic M. M. (2017b). Diet-induced covariation between architectural and physicochemical plasticity in an extended phenotype. J. Exp. Biol. 220, 876–884. doi: 10.1242/jeb.150029

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Kasumovic M. M., Tso I. M., Martens P., Hook J. M., Rawal A. (2016a). Evidence of decoupling of spidroin expression and protein structure in spider dragline silks. Inter. J. Mol. Sci. 17, 1294. doi: 10.3390/ijms17081294

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Liao C. P., Chang C. K., Chuang Y. C., Wu C. L., Blackledge T. A., et al. (2015). Mechanical performance of spider silk is robust to nutrient-mediated changes in protein composition. Biomacromolecules 16, 1218–1225. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5b00006

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Nobbs M., Martens P. J., Tso I. M., Chuang W. T., Chang C. K., et al. (2018). Multiscale mechanisms of nutritionally-induced property variation in spider silk. PloS One 13, e0192005. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192005

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Nobbs M., Wolff J. O., Heu C. (2022). Nutrient-induced nano-scale variability in spider silk structural and mechanical properties. J. Mech. Behav. Biomed. Mater. 125, 104873. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104873

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Picazo-Lozano P., Bruno A. L., Arnedo M., Ruiz-Leon Y., Gonzalez-Nieto D., et al. (2023b). The spider silk standardization initiative (S3I): a powerful tool to harness biological variability and to systematize the characterization of major ampullate silk fibers spun by spiders from suburban Sydney, Australia. J. Mech. Behav. Biomed. Mater. 140, 105729. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105729

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Rawal A., Edwards A., Yarger J. L., Oberst S., Allardice B. J., et al. (2023a). Methods for silk property analysis across structural hierarchies and scales. Molecules 28, 2120. doi: 10.3390/molecules28052120

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Sellers W. I. (2019). Modelling temperature and humidity effects on web performance: implications for predicting orb-web spider (Argiope spp.) foraging under Australian climate change scenarios. Conserv. Physiol. 7, coz083. doi: 10.1093/conphys/coz083

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Spicer P. T., Flanagan P. J. (2020). Spider silk biomimetics programs to inform the development of wearable technologies. Front. Mater. 7, 29. doi: 10.3389/fmats.2020.00029

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Thompson M. B., Hochuli D. F. (2007). Habitat selection and web plasticity by the orb spider Argiope keyserlingi: do they compromise foraging success for predator avoidance? Austral Ecol. 32, 551–563. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2007.01727.x

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Tseng Y. H., Wu C. L., Toft S., Raubenheimer D., Tso I. M. (2016b). Spider silk and web performance landscapes across nutrient space. Sci. Rep. 6, 26383. doi: 10.1038/srep26383

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Tso I. M. (2013). Nutrient mediated architectural plasticity of a predatory trap. PloS One 8, e54558. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054558

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Wu C. L., Blackledge T. A., Tso I. M. (2012a). Post-secretion processing influences spider silk performance. J. R. Soc Interf. 9, 2479–2487. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2012.0277

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Blamires S. J., Wu C. L., Blackledge T. A., Tso I. M. (2012b). Environmentally-induced post-spin property changes in spider silks: influence of web type, spidroin composition and ecology. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 106, 580–588. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01884.x

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Borijindakul  P., Ji  A., Dai  Z., Gorb  S. N., Manoonpong P. (2021). Mini review: comparison of bio-inspired adhesive feet of climbing robots on smooth vertical surfaces. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 9, 765718. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.765718

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Cao H., Parveen S., Ding D., Xu H., Tan T., Liu L. (2017). Metabolic engineering for recombinant major ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp2) synthesis in Escherichia coli. Sci. Rep. 7, 11365. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11845-2

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Clarke T. H., Garb J. E., Hayashi C. Y., Haney R. A., Lancaster A. K., Corbett S., et al. (2014). Multi-tissue transcriptomics of the black widow spider reveals expansions, co-options, and functional processes of the silk gland gene toolkit. BMC Genom. 15, 365. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-365

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Collin M. A., Clarke T. H., Ayoub N. A., Hayashi C. Y. (2018). Genomic perspectives of spider silk genes through target capture sequencing: conservation of stabilization mechanisms and homology-based structural models of spidroin terminal regions. Inter. J. Biol. Macromol. 113, 829–840. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.02.032

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Correa-Garhwal S. M., Babb P. L., Voight B. F., Hayashi C. Y. (2020). Golden orb-weaving spider (Trichonephila clavipes) silk genes with sex-biased expression and atypical architectures. Genes Genom. Genet. 11, jkaa039. doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa039

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Craig C. L., Riekel C., Herberstein M. E., Weber R. S., Kaplan D., Pierce N. E. (2000). Evidence for diet effects on the composition of silk proteins produced by spiders. Molec. Biol. Evol. 17, 1904–1913. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026292

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Craig H. C., Blamires S. J., Kasumovic M. M., Sani M. A., Rawal A., Hook J. M. (2019). DNP NMR spectroscopy reveals new structures, residues and interactions in wild spider silks. Chem. Comms. 55, 4687–4690. doi: 10.1039/C9CC01045A

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Craig H. C., Piorkowski D., Nakagawa S., Kasumovic M. M., Blamires S. J. (2020). Meta-analysis reveals materiomic relationships in major ampullate silk across the spider phylogeny. J. R. Soc Interf. 17, 20200471. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0471

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Craig H. C., Yao Y., Ariotte N., Setty M., Remadevi R., Kasumovic M. M., et al. (2022). Nanovoid formation induces property variation within and across individual silkworm silk threads. J. Mater. Chem. B. 10, 5561–5570. doi: 10.1039/D2TB00357K

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

De Falco F., Gullo M. P., Gentile G., Di Pace E., Cocca M., Gelabert L., et al. (2018). Evaluation of microplastic release caused by textile washing processes of synthetic fabrics. Env. Poll. 236, 916–925. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.10.057

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

dos Santos-Pinto J. R. A., Garcia A. M. C., Acuri H. A., Esteves F. G., Salles H. C., Lubec G., et al. (2016). Silkomics: insight into the silk spinning process of spiders. J. Proteom. Res. 15, 1179–1193. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b01056

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Edlund A. M., Jones J., Lewis R. V., Quinn J. C. (2018). Economic feasibility and environmental impact of synthetic spider silk production from Escherichia coli. New Biotechnol. 42, 12–18. doi: 10.1016/j.nbt.2017.12.006

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Fan Z., Yuan T., Liu P., Wang L.-Y., Jin J.-F., Zhang F., et al. (2021). A chromosome-level genome of the spider Trichonephila antipodiana reveals the genetic basis of its polyphagy and evidence of an ancient whole-genome duplication event. Giga Sci. 10, 1–15. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giab016

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Flanagan P. J., Blamires S. J., Spicer P. T., Frankjaer R., Hosseini S. M. (2023). "Hybrid sensor configurations", in Organic and inorganic material based sensors. Eds. S. Tomas, S. Das and P. Pratim Das (Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: Wiley VCH), 675–688.

Google Scholar

Fonseca-Ferreira R., Morales M. J. A., Carvalho L. S., Guadanucci J. P. L. (2023). Morphometric analysis of a trapdoor spider (Araneae, Idiopidae) across different Brazilian biomes reveals the geographic variation of spiders from the Caatinga biome. Diversity 15, 861. doi: 10.3390/d15070861

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Frandsen P. B., Hotaling S., Powell A., Heckenhauer J., Kawahara A. Y., Baker R. H., et al. (2023). Allelic resolution of insect and spider silk genes reveals hidden genetic diversity. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 120, e2221528120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2221528120

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Garb J. E., Haney R. A., Schwager E. E., Gregorič M., Kuntner M., Agnarsson I., et al. (2019). The transcriptome of Darwin’s bark spider silk glands predicts proteins contributing to dragline silk toughness. Comms. Biol. 2, 275. doi: 10.1038/s42003-019-0496-1

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Garb J. E., Sharma P. P., Ayoub N. A. (2018). Recent progress and prospects for advancing arachnid genomics. Curr. Opin. Insect Sci. 25, 51–57. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.11.005

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Guinea G. V., Elices M., Perez-Rigueiro J., Plaza G. R. (2005). Stretching of supercontracted fibers: a link between spinning and the variability of spider silk. J. Exp. Biol. 208, 25–30. doi: 10.1242/jeb.01344

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Haney R. A., Ayoub N. A., Clarke T. H., Hayashi C. Y., Garb J. E. (2014). Dramatic expansion of the black widow toxin arsenal uncovered by multi-tissue transcriptomics and venom proteomics. BMC Genom. 15, 366. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-366

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Heidebrecht A., Eisoldt L., Diehl J., Scmidt A., Geffers M., Lang G., et al. (2015). Biomimetic fibers made of recombinant spidroins with the same toughness as natural spider silk. Adv. Mater. 27, 2189–2194. doi: 10.1002/adma.201404234

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Henneken J. H., Blamires S. J., Goodger J. Q. D., Jones T. M., Elgar M. A. (2022). Population level variation in silk chemistry but not web architecture in a widely distributed orb web spider. Biol. J. Linn. Soc 137, 350–358. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac089

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Htut K. Z., Alicea-Serrano A. M., Singla S., Agnarsson I., Garb J. E., Kuntner M., et al. (2021). Correlation between protein secondary structure and mechanical performance for the ultra-tough dragline silk of Darwin’s bark spider. J. R. Soc Interf. 18, 20210320. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0320

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Humenik M., Smith A. M., Scheibel T. R. (2011). Recombinant spider silks—biopolymers with potential for future applications. Polymers 3, 640–661. doi: 10.3390/polym3010640

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Joel A. C., Rawal A., Yao Y., Jenner A., Ariotte N., Weissbach M., et al. (2023). Physico-chemical properties of functionally adhesive spider silk nanofibers. Biomat. Sci. 11, 2139–2150. doi: 10.1039/D2BM01599D

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Karthik T., Rathinamoorthy R. (2017). “Sustainable silk production,” in Sustainable fibres and textiles. Ed. Muthu S. S. (Cambridge, U.K.: Woodhead Publishing), 135–170.

Google Scholar

Kluge J. A., Rabotyagova O., Leisk G. G., Kaplan D. L. (2008). Spider silks and their applications. Trends Biotechnol. 26, 244–251. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2008.02.006

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Koebley S. R., Vollrath F., Schneipp H. C. (2017). Toughness-enhancing metastructure in the recluse spider’s looped ribbon silk. Mater. Horiz. 4, 377–382. doi: 10.1039/C6MH00473C

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Koeppel A., Holland C. (2017). Progress and trends in artificial silk spinning: a systematic review. ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 3, 236–237. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00669

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Kono N., Nakamura H., Mori M., Yoshida Y., Ohtoshi R., Malay A. D., et al. (2021). Multicomponent nature underlies the extraordinary mechanical properties of spider dragline silk. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 118, e2107065118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2107065118

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Kono N., Nakamura H., Ohtoshi R., Pedrazzoli Moran D. A., Shinohara A., Yoshida Y., et al. (2019). Orb-weaving spider Araneus ventricosus genome elucidates the spidroin gene catalogue. Sci. Rep. 9, 8380. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44775-2

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Kuntner M. (2022). The seven grand challenges in arachnid science. Front. Arach. Sci. 1, 1082700. doi: 10.3389/frchs.2022.1082700

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Lacava M., Camargo A., Garcia L. F., Benamú M., Santana M., Fang J., et al. (2018). Web building and silk properties functionally covary among species of wolf spider. J. Evol. Biol. 31, 968–978. doi: 10.1111/jeb.13278

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Laland K. N., Odling-Smee J., Feldman M. W. (1999). Evolutionary consequences of niche construction and their implications for ecology. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 96, 10242–10247. doi: 10.1073/pnas.96.18.10242

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Landkammer S., Winter F., Schneider D., Hornfeck R. (2016). Biomimetic spider leg joints: a review from biomechanical research to compliant robotic actuators. Robotics 5, 15. doi: 10.3390/robotics5030015

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Lefèvre T., Auger M. (2016). Spider silk as a blueprint for greener materials: a review. Inter. Mater Rev. 61, 127–153. doi: 10.1080/09506608.2016.1148894

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Li J., Li S., Huang J., Khan A. Q., An B., Zhou X., et al. (2022). Spider silk-inspired artificial fibers. Adv. Sci. 9, 2103965. doi: 10.1002/advs.202103965

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Li J., Zhu Y., Yu H., Dai B., Jun Y. S., Zhang F. (2021). Microbially synthesized polymeric amyloid fiber promotes beta-nanocrystal formation and displays gigapascal tensile strength. ACS Nano 15, 11843–11853. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Lischer H. E., Excoffier L. (2012). PGDSpider: an automated data conversion tool for connecting population genetics and genomics programs. Bioinformatics 28, 298–299. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btr642

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Liu X., Zhang K. Q. (2011). “Silk fiber — molecular formation mechanism, structure- property relationship and advanced applications,” in Oligomerization of chemical and Biological Compounds. Ed. Lesieur C. (Rejika, Croatia: InTechOpen Ltd.), 69–101.

Google Scholar

López-Cabrera D., Ramos-Ortiz G., González-Santillán E., Espinosa-Luna R. (2020). Characterization of the fluorescence intensity and color tonality in the exoskeleton of scorpions. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B: Biol. 209, 111945. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.111945

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Lozano-Pérez A. A., Pagán A., Zhurov V., Hudson S. D., Hutter J. L., Pruneri V., et al. (2020). The silk of gorse spider mite Tetranychus lintearius represents a novel natural source of nanoparticles and biomaterials. Sci. Rep. 10, 18471. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-74766-7

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Machałowski T., Amemiya C., Jesionowski T. (2020). Chitin of Araneae origin: structural features and biomimetic applications: a review. Appl. Phys. A 126, 678. doi: 10.1007/s00339-020-03867-x

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Madurga R., Plaza G. R., Blackledge T. A., Guinea G. V., Elices M., Perez-Rigueiro J. (2016). Material properties of evolutionary diverse spider silks described by variation in a single structural parameter. Sci. Rep. 6, 18991. doi: 10.1038/srep18991

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Malay A. D., Craig H. C., Chen J., Oktaviani N. A., Numata K. (2022). Complexity of spider dragline silk. Biomacromolecules 23, 1827–1840. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01682

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

McGuire A. L., Gabriel S., Tishkoff S. A., Wonkam A., Chakravarti A., Furlong E. E. M., et al. (2020). The road ahead in genetics and genomics. Nat. Rev. Genet. 21, 581–596. doi: 10.1038/s41576-020-0272-6

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Meyer A., Pugno N. W., Cranford C. W. (2014). Compliant threads maximize spider silk connection strength and toughness. J. R. Soc Interf. 11, 20140561. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0561

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Numata K. (2021). Biopolymer Science for Proteins and Peptides (Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier).

Google Scholar

Oxbrough A., Ziesche T. M. (2013). “Spiders in forest ecosystems,” in Integrative Approaches as an Opportunity for the Conservation of Forest Biodiversity. Eds. Kraus D., Krumm F. (Frieburg, Germany: European Forest Institute), 186–193.

Google Scholar

Peng X., Dai Z., Wang X. (2020). Comparative proteomic analysis to probe into the differences in protein expression profiles and toxicity bases of Latrodectus tredecimguttatus spiderlings and adult spiders. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. C: Toxicol. Pharmacol. 232, 108762. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108762

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Pigliucci M. (2007). Do we need an extended evolutionary synthesis? Evolution 61, 2743–2749. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00246.x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Piorkowski D., Blackledge T. A. (2017). Punctuated evolution of viscid silk in spider orb webs supported by mechanical behavior of wet cribellate silk. Sci. Nat. 104, 67. doi: 10.1007/s00114-017-1489-x

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Porter D., Vollrath F. (2009). Silk as a biomimetic ideal for structural polymers. Adv. Mater. 21, 487–492. doi: 10.1002/adma.200801332

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Ramezaniaghdam M., Nahdi N. D., Reski R. (2022). Recombinant spider silk: promises and bottlenecks. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 10, 835637. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.835637

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Rao W.-Q., Kalogeropoulos K., Allentoft M. E., Gopalakrishnan S., Zhao W.-N., Workman C. T., et al. (2022). The rise of genomics in snake venom research: recent advances and future perspectives. Giga Sci. 11, giac024. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giac024

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Rising A., Nimmervoll H., Grip S., Fernandez-Arias A., Storckenfeldt E., Knight D. P., et al. (2005). Spider silk -mechanical properties and gene sequence. Zool. Sci. 22, 273–281. doi: 10.2108/zsj.22.273

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Rohani Shirvan A., Nouri A., Sutti A. (2022). A perspective on the wet spinning process and its advancements in biomedical sciences. Europ. Polymer J. 181, 111681. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111681

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Romer L., Scheibel T. (2008). The elaborate structure of spider silk: structure and function of a natural high performance fiber. Prion 2, 154–161. doi: 10.4161/pri.2.4.7490

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Samundeeswari S., Shastri L. A., Kulkarni M. V. (2021). Bio-inspired design and synthesis of fluorescent molecules: Coumarin-β-carboline hybrids as models. Chem. Data Coll. 31, 100613. doi: 10.1016/j.cdc.2020.100613

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Sánchez-Herrero J. F., Frías-López C., Escuer P., Hinojosa-Alvarez S., Arnedo M. A., Sánchez-Gracia A., et al. (2019). The draft genome sequence of the spider Dysdera silvatica (Araneae, Dysderidae): a valuable resource for functional and evolutionary genomic studies in chelicerates. Giga Sci. 8, giz099. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giz099

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Sane S. P., McHenry M. J. (2009). The biomechanics of sensory organs. Integr. Comp. Biol. 49, i8–i23. doi: 10.1093/icb/icp112

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Sanggaard K. W., Bechgaard J. S., Fang X., Duan J., Dyrlund T. F., Gupta V., et al. (2014). Spider geneomes provide insight into composition and evolution of venom and silk. Nat. Comms 5, 3765. doi: 10.1038/ncomms4765

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Schwager E. E., Sharma P. P., Clarke T., Leite D. J., Wierschin T., Pechmann M., et al. (2017). The house spider genome reveals an ancient whole-genome duplication during arachnid evolution. BMC Biol. 15, 62. doi: 10.1186/s12915-017-0399-x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Sheffer M. M., Hoppe A., Krehenwinkel H., Uhl G., Kuss A. W., Jensen L., et al. (2021). Chromosome-level reference genome of the European wasp spider Argiope bruennichi: a resource for studies on range expansion and evolutionary adaptation. Giga Sci. 10, giaa148. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa148

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Shendure J., Ji H. (2008). Next-generation DNA sequencing. Nat. Biotechnol. 26, 1135–1145. doi: 10.1038/nbt1486

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Shi X., Yarger J. L., Holland G. P. (2014). Elucidating proline dynamics in spider dragline silk fibre using 2H–13C HETCOR MAS NMR. Chem. Comms 50, 4856–4859. doi: 10.1039/C4CC00971A

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Stephan T., Burgess S. M., Cheng H., Danko C. G., Gill C. A., Jarvis E. D., et al. (2022). Darwinian genomics and diversity in the tree of life. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 119, e2115644119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2115644119

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Stuart-Fox D., Ng L., Barner L., Bennet A. T. D., Blamires S. J., Elgar M. A., et al. (2023). Bio-informed advanced materials: current challenges and opportunities. Comms Mater. 4, 80. doi: 10.1038/s43246-023-00405-z

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Tokareva O., Jacobsen M., Buehler M. J., Wong J., Kaplan D. L. (2014). Structure–function–property–design interplay in biopolymers: spider silk. Acta Biomater. 10, 1612–1626. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.08.020

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Tso I.-M., Chiang S. Y., Blackledge T. A. (2007). Does the giant wood spider Nephila pilipes respond to prey variation by altering web or silk properties? Ethology 113, 324–333. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01318.x

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Van Beek J. D., Hess S., Vollrath F., Meier B. F. (2002). The molecular structure of spider dragline silk: folding and orientation of the protein backbone. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99, 10266–10271. doi: 10.1073/pnas.152162299

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Vasanthavada K., Hu X., Tuton-Blasingame T., Hsia Y., Sampath S., Pacheco R., et al. (2012). Spider glue proteins have distinct architectures compared with traditional spidroin family members. J. Biol. Chem. 287, 35986–35999. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.399816

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Vienneau-Hathaway J. M., Brassfield E. R., Lane A. K., Collin M. A., Correa-Garhwal S. M., Clarke T. H., et al. (2017). Duplication and concerted evolution of MiSp-encoding genes underlie the material properties of minor ampullate silks of cobweb weaving spiders. BMC Evol. Biol. 17, 78. doi: 10.1186/s12862-017-0927-x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Viera C., Garcia L. F., Lacava M., Fang J., Wang X., Kasumovic M. M., et al. (2019). Silk physico-chemical variability and mechanical robustness facilitate intercontinental invasibility of a spider. Sci. Rep. 9, 13273. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-49463-9

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Vollrath F., Porter D. (2006a). Spider silk as a model biomaterial. Appl. Phys. A Mater. Sci. Process. 82, 205–212. doi: 10.1007/s00339-005-3437-4

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Vollrath F., Porter D. (2006b). Spider silk as archetypal protein elastomer. Soft Matt. 2, 377–385. doi: 10.1039/b600098n

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Vollrath F., Porter D. (2009). Silks as ancient models for modern polymers. Polymer 50, 5623–5632. doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2009.09.068

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

von Reumont B. M., Anderluh G., Antunes A., Ayvazyan N., Beis D., Caliskan F., et al. (2022). Modern venomics—Current insights, novel methods, and future perspectives in biological and applied animal venom research. Giga Sci. 11, giac048. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giac048

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Wen R., Wang S., Wang K., Yang D., Zan X., Meng Q. (2023). Complete gene sequence and mechanical property of the fourth type of major ampullate silk protein. Acta Biomater. 155, 282–291. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.042

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Wolff J. O., Rezac M., Krejci T., Gorb S. N. (2017b). Hunting with sticky tape: functional shift in silk glands of araneophagous ground spiders (Gnaphosidae). J. Exp. Biol. 220, 2250–2259. doi: 10.1242/jeb.154682

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Wolff J. O., Schneider J. M., Gorb S. N. (2014). “How to pass the gap – functional morphology and biomechanics of spider bridging threads,” in Biotechnology of Silk. Eds. Asakura T., Miller T. (Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer), 165–177.

Google Scholar

Wolff J. O., Schönhofer A. L., Martens J., Wijnhoven H., Taylor C. K., Gorb S. N. (2016). The evolution of pedipalps and glandular hairs as predatory devices in harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones). Zool. J. Linn. Soc 177, 558–601. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12375

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Wolff J. O., Wells D., Reid C., Blamires S. J. (2017a). Clarity of objectives and working principles enhances the success of biomimetic programs. Bioinspir. Biomim. 12, 051001. doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/aa86ff

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Zhou S.-Y., Dong Q.-L., Zhu K.-S., Gao L., Chen X., Xiang H. (2021). Long-read transcriptomic analysis of orb-weaving spider Araneus ventricosus indicates transcriptional diversity of spidroins. Inter. J. Biol. Macromol. 168, 395–402. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.182

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Zhu B., Jin P., Zhang Y., Shen Y., Wang W., Li S. (2023). Genomic and transcriptomic analyses support a silk gland origin of spider venom glands. BMC Biol. 21, 82. doi: 10.1186/s12915-023-01581-7

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Keywords: arachnid genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics, biomaterials, genome sequencing, synthetic material, interdisciplinary research

Citation: Blamires SJ (2024) Grand challenges in arachnid genetics and biomaterials. Front. Arachn. Sci. 3:1356170. doi: 10.3389/frchs.2024.1356170

Received: 15 December 2023; Accepted: 03 January 2024;
Published: 15 January 2024.

Edited and Reviewed by:

Matjaz Kuntner, National Institute of Biology (NIB), Slovenia

Copyright © 2024 Blamires. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Sean J. Blamires, sean.blamires@uts.edu.au

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.