The Nanostructure and Nanomechanics of a Novel Black Widow Spider Silk Assessed Using Atomic Force Microscopy

The black widow spider produces numerous silk types that serve unique biological and mechanical functions. Recently, a novel member of the spider silk family, Pyroform Spidroin 1 (PySp1), was identified from the attachment discs of black widow spiders. Here we investigate the nanostructure and the nanoscale material behavior of native PySp1 silks using atomic force microscopy.