ECM protein enrichment and immunoblotting 100mg of frozen samples were homogenized using a polytron (Kinematica, Bohemia, NY) in 250μL of buffer C (HEPES pH7.9, MgCl2, KCl, EDTA, Sucrose, Glycerol, Sodium OrthoVanadate) of the CNMCS protein extraction kit. Lysates were then spun for 20 min. at 15,000 rpm at 4°C, the supernatant was saved (intermediate fraction 1, enriched for cytosolic proteins...

Albeit silks are fairly well understood on a molecular level, their hierarchical organisation and the full complexity of constituents in the spun fibre remain poorly defined. Here we link morphological defined structural elements in dragline silk of Nephila clavipes to their biochemical composition and physicochemical properties. Five layers of different make-ups could be distinguished. Of thes...

Spider silks are outstanding biomaterials with mechanical properties that outperform synthetic materials. Of the six fibrillar spider silks, aciniform (or wrapping) silk is the toughest through a unique combination of strength and extensibility. In this study, a wet-spinning method for recombinant Argiope trifasciata aciniform spidroin (AcSp1) is introduced. Recombinant AcSp1 comprising three 2...

Molecular and material properties of major ampullate silk were studied for the cobweb-building black widow spider Latrodectus hesperus. Material properties were measured by stretching the silk to breaking. The strength was 1.0 +/- 0.2 GPa, and the extensibility was 34 +/- 8%. The secondary structure of the major ampullate silk protein was studied using carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy. Alanine underg...

In corporate spin-offs, spun-off units pursue two major objectives: separating and restructuring their business for independent operation; and retaining business continuity and minimizing operational disruptions. In trying to balance the conflicting demands of these objectives, spun-off units often turn to “transitional IT services” provided by their parents. However, the business value of the ...

Electro-spun polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibrous mats are potential substrates for biotechnological and biomedical applications. In this regard, substrate characteristics including, fiber diameter, orientation and mechanical properties play an important role in controlling the interaction of substrate with biological entities. However, few studies reporting the preparation of electro-spun ...

A common problem in production of core–spun yarns on the Ring spinning frame is the slippage of the staple fibers as sheath fibers relative to the core. This effect is known as ‘strip-back’ or barberpole. This problem may lead to an incomplete core coverage and results in end–breaks in subsequent processing. In order to avoid this problem, in the present work, core spun yarns (acrylic sheath fi...