Most people view spider webs as nothing more than complex structures built by spiders to capture prey, but they hold a much more exciting secret: they're embedded with a special kind of adhesive that can't be seen by the human eye. Unlike synthetic glues, which lose their stickiness when exposed to water, this natural web glue becomes stickier when wet! This phenomenal feature allows spiders' webs to catch prey even under dew or rain conditions.
This fascinating discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Dr. Brent Opell from Virginia Tech, who were studying the biomechanical properties of spider silk and its various applications in technology and medicine. They found web-based glue droplets contained proteins called glycoproteins, which have an uneven structure at the microscopic level. These uneven surfaces trap water molecules and increase surface tension, hence resulting in increased stickiness when wet. This unique property makes it an unprecedented phenomenon unlike any other natural glue known to science.
Dr. Opell stated that understanding the composition of this adhesive could open new doors in biomedical technologies, such as designing more effective bioadhesives for human tissues during surgery or developing better wound dressings that don't stick to healing skin—mimicking how insects fail to adhere when freeing themselves after being initially captured by a spider web.
Despite these promising prospects, there are challenges ahead; due to its organic nature, this adhesive cannot be synthesized without extensive genetic manipulation or cultivation of spiders in controlled environments, which can potentially raise ethical and sustainability issues (Opell et al., 2018). However, this won't stop researchers from trying as we venture deeper into uncovering the mysteries behind these 'invisible glues.'
Opell, B. D., Jain, D., Dhinojwala, A., & Blackledge, T. A. (2018). Tuned in: silk moth ears inspire novel adhesive research. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics,13(6)
