![]() ![]() The versatility of spidroins, along with their biocompatible and biodegradable nature, also placed them as leading-edge biological macromolecules for improved drug delivery and various biomedical applications. Although in nature only fibers are formed from spidroins, in vitro, scientists can explore non-natural morphologies including nanofibrils, particles, capsules, hydrogels, films or foams. Advances in synthetic biology have enabled the design and production of spidroins with the aim of biomimicking the structure-property-function relationships of spider silks. This characteristic is a result of the interplay of composition, structure and self-assembly of spider silk proteins (spidroins). Spider silks are well known for their extraordinary mechanical properties. ![]() Future challenges facing the field and possible solutions offered by synthetic biology are also discussed. Here, the authors discuss the different computational approaches, directed evolution techniques and various expression platforms that have been tested for the successful production of spider silk. This review aims to highlight the recent progress that has been made in the study of spider silk proteins using different branches of synthetic biology. The interdisciplinary approach of synthetic biology is an ideal tool to study these spider silk proteins and work towards the engineering and production of synthetic spider silk. A large amount of research has been directed towards harnessing the spectacular potential of spider silks and using them for different applications. Spider silk is formed by an intricate arrangement of spidroins, which are extremely large proteins containing long stretches of repeating segments rich in alanine and glycine. Its mechanical properties make it a good candidate for applications in various fields ranging from protective armour to bandages for wound dressing to coatings for medical implants. ![]() Spider silk is one of the strongest biomaterials available in nature. ![]()
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