2024: Web-Slinging Technology
In 2024 Tufts Silklab developed a quick-drying, adhesive fiber that can be shot at objects and lift objects over 80 times its own weight. “Web slinging” technology brings the ideas of comic books to life; the material is made from silk moth cocoons boiled down into a fibroin protein compound, which is then extruded through narrow bore needles to form a stream that solidifies into a fiber when exposed to air. Tufts Silklab has also pioneered the use of silk fibroin to make powerful glues that can work underwater, printable sensors that can be applied to virtually any surface, edible coatings that can extend the shelf life of produce, a light collecting material that could significantly enhance the efficiency of solar cells, and more sustainable microchip manufacturing methods.