Biologists unravel the genetic secrets of black widow spider silk

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Female black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) with her dragline silk. Photo credit: Mark Chappell UCR.
Female black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) with her dragline silk. Photo credit: Mark Chappell, UCR.

Biologists at the University of California, Riverside have identified the genes, and determined the DNA sequences, for two key proteins in the “dragline silk” of the black widow spider – an advance that may lead to a variety of new materials for industrial, medical and military uses.


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All News summaries for June 13, 2007

Study explores plausibility of bulbs and tubers in the diet of early human ancestors

5 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Anthropologist Nathaniel J. Dominy of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has advanced the investigation of the diet of early human ancestors ...

Wealth Does Not Dictate Concern for the Environment

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
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6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
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Women's access to credit affects efficiency in rural households

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Rural strategies designed to induce economic growth often emphasize the need to improve access to capital for poor households. However, this approach implicitly assumes that family members pool all their resources and allocate ...

Colonial heritage metaphors used in US military conflicts

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
The historical reference to "Indian Country" presents a complex metaphor. For many Native Americans it signifies home, family, and territory; however, for others the term can refer to colonialism and Native American land ...
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