Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

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AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 50: Poster Session "Biological Physics"

AKB 50.82: Poster

Friday, March 12, 2004, 10:30–13:00, B

X-ray scattering and microscopy on spider silk fibers — •Anja Glisovic, Juergen Thieme, Peter Guttmann, and Tim Salditt — Institut fuer Roentgenphysik, Universitaet Goettingen

We report on the structural characterization of different types of spider silk. Spider silk is a high performance biomaterial with a unique combination of elastic properties consisting of only one to two proteins. The structural basis for these properties on the molecular and mesoscopic scale of the silk fiber is a matter of intensive scientific debate [1]. We have used synchrotron based x-ray diffraction as well as x-ray microscopy to investigate single as well as bundle of fibers. Some technical aspects (beam collimation, background to noise, analysis of crystalline domains) and first results of these experiments will be discussed. [1] F. Vollrath, Knight DP, Nature 410, 541 (2001), and references therein.