Scientists at Cambridge University (www.cam.ac.uk) have designed a super-stretchy, strong and sustainable fibre that mimics the qualities of spider silk.

The super-strong fibre, which resembles a bungee cord in terms of the amount of energy that it can absorb, is sustainable, non-toxic, can be made at room temperature and could be used to make textiles, sensors and other materials.

The fibre is “spun” from a soupy material called a hydrogel, which is 98% water. The remaining 2% is made of silica and cellulose — both naturally available materials — held together in a network by barrel-shaped molecular ‘handcuffs’ known as cucurbiturils.

The chemical interactions between the different components enable a long fibre a few millionths of a metre in diameter to be pulled from the gel. After about 30sec, the water evaporates, leaving a fibre that is both strong and stretchy.

Spider silk is one of nature’s strongest materials, and scientists have been trying for a long time to mimic its properties, with varying degrees of success.

Darshil Shah from Cambridge’s Department of Architecture, said: “We have yet to fully recreate the elegance with which spiders spin silk.

“Although our fibres are not as strong as the strongest spider silks, they can support stresses of 100-150 megapascals, which is similar to other synthetic and natural silks.

“They are also non-toxic and far less energy-intensive to make.”