bioengineers from Tufts University have identified how spiders and and silkworms spin silk, the strongest natural fiber known. the secret is in the solubility, concentration and structure of the proteins in their glands that spin the silk. this new insight could lead to new high-strength and high-performance materials, new biomaterial applications for cell growth in tissue engineering, environmentally sound processes to generate fibers and films. (via scienceblog)