The process of spider silk assembly is a concerted, transitional process that combines liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS), liquid‒crystal (LC) and liquid‒solid phase separation (LSP), yielding fibers with outstanding mechanical properties. Spider silk proteins form micelle-like assemblies that undergo LLPS to form larger droplets, which are highly relevant for preorientation and permit intra- and intermolecular interactions, leading to a dimerized protein network and a nematic crystal phase of β-sheet-rich nanofibrils. The final solid fiber is drawn via LSP.
- Lisa Zeußel
- Hendrik Bargel
- Thomas Scheibel
