For Super-Tough Spider Silk, Just Add Titanium

A team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Germany has been experimenting with ways to infuse biopolymers with different kinds of metals. Finding some success with their tests on spider silk, the team was able to improve the tensile strength of the fibers, increasing the amount of energy required to break a strand as much as ten times. "Spider silk is not a practical engineering material, but materials scientists are trying to produce artificial fibers that mimic its properties. If they succeed, the result could be super-tough textiles. Knez thinks the technique has more immediate potential for toughening other biomaterials such as collagen. 'Mechanically improving collagen using our technique might open several new possible applications, like artificial tendons.'"

Spiderman

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

Just ask Peter Parker. He can get you a sample of Spideman's webbing, and problem solved.

Troller Man, Troller Man

[severoon]

...does whatever a troller can. Spins a lie, any size, catches n00bs, just like flies, LOOK OUT! Here comes the troller man.

How?

[Anonymous Coward]

How do I shot web?

Re:why not feed your chinese silk worms with

[MillionthMonkey]

Can someone tell me which insects contain the most titanium, and where can I get some to feed my pet spider? I've got him weaving me a hammock in my living room, but it isn't up to holding my weight yet. Maybe I'll try mixing titanium dioxide with that damn cornstarch in the kitchen that the moths got into.

I for one...

[chill]

For now, they're just coating existing webs with a thin film of titanium oxide. Soon, some bright scientist will have the wonderful idea of "hey, if we can just genetically modify the spiders to metabolize titanium and use it in building webs..."

Then the slashdot tags WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong and IForOneWelcomeOurNewInsectOverlords will be back in vogue.

[Yes, I know spiders are arachnids and not insects. Remember, I'm talking about a SLASHDOT tag, okay?]

Re:From the old Spiderman Cartoon

[PotatoFarmer]

What color is titanium when you mix it with flesh?

It would most likely be bright white, like titanium dioxide. So the super-soldiers of the future will look like they've been doused in suntan lotion.

Call Hot Topic! (Re:From the old Spiderman Cartoon

[StCredZero]

It would most likely be bright white, like titanium dioxide. So the super-soldiers of the future will look like they've been doused in suntan lotion.

It's the special forces Ultra Goths!

Oblig.

[tcolberg]

I, for one, welcome our eventual titanium web building, eight-legged overlords.

Re:Spiderman

[Anonymous Coward]

And Aquaman could.... Dammit, Aquaman is fucking useless.

well....

[salesbot]

or just add lithium and get over yourself.