English

Noun

supercontraction ‎(plural supercontractions)

1. The contraction (by up to 50%) of spider dragline silk in high humidity
   • 2015 December 22, “In Vitro Evaluation of Spider Silk Meshes as a Potential Biomaterial for Bladder Reconstruction”, in PLOS ONE, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0145240:

     The demonstration that in an in vivo fascia replacement model supercontraction can be overcome by suturing the silk mesh into a defect before releasing it from the frame, encourages the in vivo use of spider silk without the presence of a supporting scaffold.