New studies on the glue that coats the silk of spider webs may lead to the development of “green” glues that can replace existing petroleum-based products for a range of uses. Scientists at the University of Wyoming analyzed web glue from the golden orb weaving spider, noted for spinning intricate webs. They identified two new glycoproteins in the glue and showed that domains of these proteins were produced from opposite strands of the same DNA. "Once the cloned genes are over-expressed in systems such as insect or bacterial cell cultures, large-scale production of the glycoprotein can be used to develop a new bio-based glue for a variety of purposes," the report noted. The report appeared in the October 12 issue of Biomacromolecules published by the American Chemical Society. [Press release] [Biomacromolecules abstract] Login Or Register To Read Full Story