Feature

The Molecular Secret to Spider Silk’s Strength 

AlphaFold3 and DNP-enhanced NMR reveal key residue-level interactions in dragline silk

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  • February 16, 2026

  • 3 min

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  • 1

    Spider dragline silk is structurally unique with high tensile strength.

  • 2

    Arginine and tyrosine amino acids facilitate fiber formation.

  • 3

    Cation-π interactions act as molecular stickers during phase separation.

  • 4

    NMR and molecular dynamics were used for investigation.

  • 5

    Phosphate ions influence liquid–liquid phase separation.

  • 6

    Findings suggest applications in medical and protective materials.

Original Source(s)

The Molecular Secret to Spider Silk’s Strength 

AlphaFold3 and DNP-enhanced NMR reveal key residue-level interactions in dragline silk

  • February 16, 2026

  • 3 min

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