Combining high strength and elasticity, spider silks are exceptionally hard, that is they are able to absorb massive kinetic energy before breaking. Spider silk is therefore a model polymer for development of high performance biomimetic fibers. There are over 41.000 described species of spiders, most spinning multiple types of silk. Thus we have available some 200.000+ unique silks that may cover an amazing breadth of material properties. Such bioprospecting of silks promises to reveal new fibers that have different combinations of material properties.

Combining high strength and elasticity, spider silks are exceptionally hard, that is they are able to absorb massive kinetic energy before breaking. Spider silk is therefore a model polymer for development of high performance biomimetic fibers. There are over 41.000 described species of spiders, most spinning multiple types of silk. Thus we have available some 200.000+ unique silks that may cover an amazing breadth of material properties. Such bioprospecting of silks promises to reveal new fibers that have different combinations of material properties. However, blindly fishing for such silks by picking species at random, or systematically sampling all silks of all species are both inefficient. A journal is a periodical publication intended to further progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Most journals are highly specialized, although some of the oldest journals publish articles, reviews, editorials, short communications, letters, and scientific papers across a wide range of scientific fields. Journals contain articles that peer reviewed, in an attempt to ensure that articles meet the journal's standards of quality, and scientific validity. Each such journal article becomes part of the permanent scientific record.