BOMBYX MORI SILK: FROM MECHANICAL PROPERTIES TO FUNCTIONALITIES

Abstract

BOMBYX MORI SILKWORM SILK HAS BEEN USED AS HIGH-END TEXTILE FIBERS AND AS SURGICAL SUTURES, AND IS BEING FURTHER DEVELOPED FOR VARIOUS EMERGING BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS. INSPIRED BY SPIDER DRAGLINE SILK WITH MUCH SUPERIOR STRENGTH AND TOUGHNESS, WE DESIGN A GREEN AND FACILE FEEDING METHOD TO MODULATE THE NANOSTRUCTURES OF SILKWORM SILK USING CITRIC ACID (CA), WHICH ACHIEVE INTRINSICALLY TOUGHEST SILKWORM SILK (I.E., CA SILK) WITH TOUGHNESS EXCEEDING THE SPIDER DRAGLINE SILK. IT IS FOUND THAT CA PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE TO RESULT IN DRASTICALLY SHORTER CRYSTALLITES AND THE OUTSTANDING MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SILK. BESIDES, SILKWORMS USUALLY PRODUCE WHITE SILK WITH NORMAL FEED CONTAINING NO XENOBIOTICS. THROUGH INTRODUCING FLUORESCENT XENOBIOTICS INTO SILKWORM?S DIET AND MONITORING THE RESULTING COLOR AND FLUORESCENCE IN THE SILKWORM?S BODY, WE ESTABLISH AN UNDERSTANDING ON THE IN VIVO UPTAKE OF XENOBIOTICS IN SILKWORMS THAT LEADS TO DIRECT PRODUCTION OF INTRINSICALLY COLORED AND/OR LUMI