Brent D. Opell

Synopsis:

The Opell Laboratory studies spider evolutionary biology and functional morphology. The lab is currently investigating the material properties and biomechanics of adhesive capture spiral threads of orb webs and the gumfoot lines of cobwebs.

Description:

Animals use adhesives for many purposes, such as for attaching to substrates. This can be permanently as marine mussels and barnacles do, or temporarily during locomotion, as sea urchins and ants do. Orb weaving spiders and their descendants, the cobweb weavers, employ glue droplets supported by protein fibers to retain prey that contact a web, preventing its escape until a spider subdues it. Each droplet’s viscoelastic glycoprotein adhesive core is hydrated and conditioned by a surrounding hygroscopic aqueous layer, which causes droplet volume, glycoprotein elastic modulus, and thread performance to track environmental humidity. The Opell Lab studies synergies among the components of this natural adhesive delivery system, the response of this smart biomaterial to environmental changes, and the impact of these changes on prey retention.