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Spider silk

Webs measure up

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The complete elastic response of a spider's orb web has been quantified by non-invasive light scattering, revealing important insights into the architecture, natural material use and mechanical properties of the web. This knowledge advances our understanding of the prey-catching process and the role of supercontraction therein.

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Figure 1: A schematic diagram of a Nephila clavipes spider web model and its experimental investigation using Brillouin light scattering.
Figure 2: The deformation of a spider web under gravity loading as a result of water droplets in morning dew.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhao Qin and Markus J. Buehler are in the Laboratory of Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA,

    Zhao Qin & Markus J. Buehler

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  1. Zhao Qin
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  2. Markus J. Buehler
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Correspondence to Markus J. Buehler.

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Qin, Z., Buehler, M. Webs measure up. Nature Mater 12, 185–187 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3578

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