Spider Silk: Any x-ray measurements?

[karner at apap4.pap.univie.ac.at]

 Does anybody know if there have been investigations by x-ray-scattering
 or small-angle-x-ray-scattering into the molecular structure of spider silk ?
 It is assumed that spider silk resembles that of the silkworm and is therefore
 a composite material made of strands of disordered amino acid chains (polymer 
 matrix) and ordered protein crystalls (F. Vollrath, Scient. Am., March 1992, 
 and others). However, as far as I know, there is no proof for this assumption. 
 If anybody knows more, please let me know. Any suggestions and hints would be
 greatly appreciated.
                        Thanks in advance   


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Dipl. Phys. Christoph Karner             |"Die Wissenschaft, sie ist und bleibt,
University of Vienna/Institute of Zoology| was einer ab vom andern schreibt.
Department of Physiology and Neurobiology| Und trotzdem ist, ganz unbestritten,
Althanstrasse 14                         | sie immer weiter fortgeschritten."
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Tel. 0043 222 31366/1203                 |                    Eugen Roth    
Fax: 0043 222 31336 700                  |                    (Roth's Tierleben)
Internet: karner at pap.univie.ac.at        |
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