The myth of antibiotic spider silk
Simon Fruergaard, M. Lund, Andreas Schramm, Thomas Vosegaard, Trine Bilde
Abstract
. Furthermore, staining experiments and fluorescence microscopy showed the presence of live bacteria on silk surfaces indicating no antimicrobial effect on direct contact. A critical evaluation of the literature reveals that published tests of AMA are scarce and that all the studies claiming positive results are compromised by methodological shortcomings. Our analysis demonstrates that the common notion that spider silk is antimicrobial is not supported by empirical data.
Topics & Concepts
SILKSpider silkSpiderAntimicrobialBiologyBacillus subtilisMicrobiologyBacteriaZoologyMaterials scienceComposite materialGeneticsSilk-based biomaterials and applicationsAntimicrobial Peptides and ActivitiesPhytochemical compounds biological activities