Application Notes - Magnetic Resonance

MR microscopy investigation of spider silk formation

Silk from a wider range of spider has astonishing mechanical properties, due to its combination of ductility and high tensile strength which makes it very tough.

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Silk from a wider range of spider has astonishing mechanical properties, due to its combination of ductility and high tensile strength which makes it very tough. Its properties have fascinated many researchers, which have investigated the formation of the silk. Magnetic resonance microscopy next to its imaging capabilities, enables to extract localized in-vivo spectra to gain time resolved insight into the development of the involved biomacromolecules. This investigation allows to describe the spinning process from the liquid protein solution to the finished product.

a) Fixation of a spider for silking and b) Microimaging RF Insert with fixated spider placed inside.

References: Hronsky, Monika. Magnetic resonance study of the spider Nephila edulis and its liquid dragline silk. Diss. ETH Zurich, 2006, https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-010782581.

right: FISP image of the spider, showing a gland in the image as a bright feature. The three red regions mark the area, where localised spectra were acquired. Left: Three localized spectra of the regions highlighted in Figure 1, compared to a reference MAS spectrum recorded from a dissected gland.