Electrospinning of spider silk‐based nanofibers

Abstract

AbstractSpider silk has garnered attention as a structural material and a medical resource for next generation because it is tough, lightweight, and biodegradable. Nonwoven silk fabrics are emerging in research and industries owing to advanced electrospinning techniques. Several studies have reported nonwoven fabrics made of spider silk‐like proteins, which are originated from recombinant expression systems, with lower molecular weights than the natural counterpart. The lower molecular weight causes a lack of mechanical strength and durability, preventing the evaluation of industrial potential of the spider silk‐based nonwoven fabric to use as a structural and medical material. In this study, an electrospun nonwoven fabric is produced using native spider silk fibers forcibly reeled from live spiders. The spider silk‐based nonwoven fabrics demonstrate cell compatibility, and the mechanical properties are superior to the silkworm silk‐based nonwoven fabrics. The availability of spider silk‐based nonwoven fabrics introduces an unexplored set of potential uses, along with the context of sustainable development goals.