Protein: Spider Capture Silk
PDB ID: 3LRD
Artist: Kayla Bell
Picture a web spun between two leaves. It was made with spider capture silk, a thin, flexible protein capable of remaining strong even under intense temperature, pressure, movement, and weight. With these properties, it has the potential to become the next Kevlar or steel. But don’t let the sturdiness fool you- a swirling mixture of alpha helices resembling silk itself forms this protein. Next time you brush away a web in your path, remember the power put into this miniature display of art.