Spider Silk Biology for Biomedical Applications
Anna Rising Lab

I’m a PhD student in Anna’s lab where I focus on enhancing the mechanical properties of artificial spider silk fibers through protein engineering and the development and characterization of novel biomaterials based on spider silk proteins.

I'm a senior lab manager working in KI since 2012. PhD in biochemistry, 2006. In the lab I'm helping lab members with their projects - cloning, purifying and analyzing new protein constructs. Lab administration is a part of my job as well.

My work is focussed on understanding how spiders spin silk in their abdomen in order to extrapolate the knowledge to create efficient spinning devices and to improve the mechanical properties of biomimetic silk fibers. In one of the projects, I study the anatomy and morphology of silk glands of Swedish bridge spiders using histological methods. I’m also part of the genomics project where we have successfully sequenced and assembled the genome of Swedish bridge spiders.

I am a PostDoc working with improving the mechanical properties of our artificial spider silk. One of my major tasks is test the spinnability of various newly designed spider silk proteins and to measure the mechanical properties of the produced fibers. My second focus is to optimize the spinning process itself and making it more efficient, by investigating how the different spinning parameters influence the mechanical properties.

I am a Research Engineer in the group with Ph.D in biochemistry. My focus is to dissect spiders and isolate the silk producing glands for genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics studies including dissociation of the glands into single cells for sequencing studies. Another focus of my research is to design spider silk-based 3D scaffolds and to use them for cell culture studies with the aim to develop scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration, bone regeneration etc.

Gabriele Greco is a visiting researcher at SLU under Olle Engkvist stipend. He has obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Trento (IT), under the supervision of prof. Nicola Pugno. His main research focuses are experimental spider biomechanics and spider silk mechanics, in which he pursues his passion for spiders. This has led him to be a co-founder of the Italian Association of Arachnology (Aracnofilia), in which he plays a role as a council member. He also loves cooking and spending time outdoors (mountains especially).

Biologist with a biochemistry degree with experience in protein expression, purification and characterization. During my PhD I have studied the chemical modification of native proteins and their implications on protein functioning. In the group I'll work to improve the water resistance and mechanical properties of artificial spider silk fibers.

I am a postdoctoral researcher in biochemistry, specialized in the production and characterization of proteins.

I am a PhD student in Anna’s group at SLU. Here I am working with artificial spider silk fibers and improving their mechanical properties and water resistance.