Spin artificial silk from whey protein

A Swedish-German team of researchers has cleared up a key process for the artificial production of silk. With the help of the intense X-rays from DESY's research light source PETRA III, the scientists could watch just how small protein pieces, called nanofibrils, lock together to form a fibre.

In the new study, the nanofibrils were formed by a protein from cow's whey under the influence of heat and acid. The fibrils shape and characteristics strongly depend on the protein concentration in the solution. 

At less than four per cent, long, straight and thick fibrils form. They can be up to 2000 nanometres long and 4 to 7 nanometres thick. But at an only slightly higher protein concentration of six per cent or more in the initial solution, the fibrils remain much shorter and thinner with an average length of just 40 nanometres and a thickness of 2 to 3 nanometres.

 Also, they are curved looking like tiny worms and 15 to 25 times softer than the long, straight fibrils.

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