Stretching of Bombyx mori Silk Protein in Flow

The flow-induced self-assembly of entangled Bombyx mori silk proteins is hypothesised to be aided by the ‘registration’ aligned protein chains using intermolecularly interacting ‘sticky’ patches. This suggests that upon chain alignment, a hierarchical network forms collectively stretches and induces nucleation in precisely controlled way. Through lens polymer physics, we argue if all would stretch similar extent, clear correlation length stickers direction flow emerges, which may indeed favour such registration effect. simulations both extensional shear, show there is, on other hand, very broad distribution protein–chain stretch, not directly coupled applied strain, but slow statistical process. qualitative prediction seems consistent with large strains (i.e., at long time scales) required induce gelation our rheological measurements under constant shear. We discuss perspective how addressed new experiments model development.