Our work on characterizing spider flagelliform silk at the
molecular level represents a collaboration of researchers from
different fields,with differentmotivations. Lewiswas trained as
a biological chemist at the California Institute of Technology
and the University of California, San Diego. His earlier work,
which centered on the study of protein structure and function,
was on mammalian endorphins from the adrenal glands, pro-
hormone processing enzymes, and lens crystalline proteins.
While serving as a consultant on a study of the possible
production of silkworm silk proteins in bacteria (which was
determined to be economically unfeasible), Lewis wondered
whether spider silk could be expressed instead. To his
surprise, he found that nothing was known about the
sequences of spider silk proteins.Much was known, however,
about the mechanical properties of various spider silks. Given
these remarkable properties, spider silks seemed very
promising as a high-technology biomaterial.
Lewis realized that the initial step in the molecular
characterization of a spider silkwas to obtain protein sequence
data, something in which he and his laboratory at the
University of Wyoming had extensive experience. He soon
decided to move his research effort into spider silks. Araneoid
dragline, or major ampullate, silk was targeted first because it
had a very high tensile strength and was fairly extensible,Lewis realized that the initial step in the molecular
characterization of a spider silkwas to obtain protein sequence
data, something in which he and his laboratory at the
University of Wyoming had extensive experience. He soon
decided to move his research effort into spider silks. Araneoid
dragline, or major ampullate, silk was targeted first because it
had a very high tensile strength and was fairly extensible,Lewis realized that the initial step in the molecular
characterization of a spider silkwas to obtain protein sequence
data, something in which he and his laboratory at the
University of Wyoming had extensive experience. He soon
decided to move his research effort into spider silks. Araneoid
dragline, or major ampullate, silk was targeted first because it
had a very high tensile strength and was fairly extensible,Lewis realized that the initial step in the molecular
characterization of a spider silkwas to obtain protein sequence
data, something in which he and his laboratory at the
University of Wyoming had extensive experience. He soon
decided to move his research effort into spider silks. Araneoid
dragline, or major ampullate, silk was targeted first because it
had a very high tensile strength and was fairly extensible,Lewis realized that the initial step in the molecular
characterization of a spider silkwas to obtain protein sequence
data, something in which he and his laboratory at the
University of Wyoming had extensive experience.
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