Spiders' webs to be used to create glue
It is hoped these new glues will replace current petroleum-based ones.
Much research has been done on spider web silk, which rivals steel in its strength. However, scientists know comparatively little about web glue, which coats the silk threads and is among the world's strongest biological glues.
Researchers at the University of Wyoming discovered that the golden orb weaver spider made web glue from glycoproteins, or proteins with bits of sugar attached.
Research author Omer Choresh said that they had identified two new glycoproteins in the glue.
He said: "Once the cloned genes are over expressed in systems such as insect or bacterial cell cultures, large-scale production of the glycoprotein can be used to develop a new biobased glue for a variety of purposes.
"Spider silk glue, which is considered one of the strongest and most effective biological glues, is an aqueous solution secreted from the orb weaving spiders aggregate glands and coats the spiral prey capturing threads of their webs.
"The web glue appears to have evolved a substantial level of sophistication matching that of the spider silk fibres."
The research was published in the monthly journal Biomacromolecules.
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