Researchers from China and the Netherlands have created a new biopolymer using corn protein, inspired by spider silk's strength. This innovation offers a potential sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based plastics, addressing limitations in current plant-derived materials.

Scientists from China and the Netherlands have created a corn protein-based biopolymer with a process inspired by spider silk that could offer a sustainable alternative to plastics based on fossil fuel. “Plant-derived biopolymers may become sustainable alternatives to fossil-based polymers, yet their poor material performance has so far limited their adoption,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on May 11. The scientists, inspired by how spiders...