Exploring the Use of Native Spider Silk as an Optical Fiber for Chemical Sensing

A spider uses up to seven different types of silk, all having specific functions, as building material, weapon, and sensory organ to detect the presence of preys on its web. Recently, scientists have put under the limelight the extraordinary properties of this ancient material. Indeed, native silk, directly extracted from spiders, is a tough, biodegradable, and biocompatible thread used mainly for...