Study offers hope of new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

One of the most feared and venomous arachnids in the world, the American brown recluse spider, has long been known for its signature necro-toxic venom, as well as its unusual silk. Now, a new Oxford University collaborative study offers an explanation for how the spider is able to make its silk so strong. Brown recluse spiders use a unique micro looping technique to make their threads stronger than that of any other spider, a newly published UK-US collaboration has discovered. The study, published in the journal Material Horizons, was produced by scientists from Oxford University's Department of Zoology, together with a team from the Applied Science Department at Virginia's College of William & Mary. Their surveillance of the brown recluse spider's spinning behaviour shows how, and to what extent, the spider manages to strengthen the silk it makes. From observing the arachnid, the team discovered that unlike other spiders, who produce round ribbons of thread, recluse silk is thin and flat. This structural difference is key to the thread's strength, providing the flexibility needed to prevent premature breakage and withstand the knots created during spinning which give each strand additional strength.