What makes spider silk so extraordinarily strong and elastic at the same time? This was the focus of recent investigations carried out by researchers from the University of Greifswald, the University of Bonn and the Museum of Natural Science in Buenos Aires. In material and behavioral analyses, they discovered that net-casting spiders modulate their silk microstructurally—combining immense elasticity with robustness. The results of the international study, published on 26 January 2026 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will enable new approaches for the industrial production of synthetic fibers.

What makes spider silk so extraordinarily strong and elastic at the same time? This was the focus of recent investigations carried out by researchers from the University of Greifswald, the University of Bonn and the Museum of Natural Science in Buenos Aires. In material and behavioral analyses, they discovered that net-casting spiders modulate their silk microstructurally—combining immense elasticity with robustness. The results of the international study, published on 26 January 2026 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will enable new approaches for the industrial production of synthetic fibers.

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