Holland Lab | Publications

Focus Review on Spider Silk Protein LLPS

Posted on June 4, 2025

Excited to share a new focus review just published in Polymer Journal in collaboration with Thomas Scheibel’s group at the University of Bayreuth! https://fiberlab.deOver the past decade, our lab at SDSU has been investigating the structure, storage state, and assembly mechanisms of native spider silk proteins (spidroins), while the Scheibel group has led the way in producing and characterizing recombinant silk systems.This review brings those threads together!We highlight:Our joint NMR work revealing silk protein dynamics and assemblyKey differences and parallels between native and recombinant systemsA unifying framework that connects micelle formation, liquid crystal ordering, and liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) as a concerted, transitional process in silk fiber formation.We also discuss the practical implications of this new model for biomimetic silk spinning and future material design.Huge thanks to AFOSR for supporting this work!Check out the review: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01039-3 ...

New Publication in Ultramicroscopy

Posted on June 4, 2025

in Publications, Students

by Holland Lab

The lab has new paper out in Ultramicroscopy! Led by recent PhD graduate student Hannah Johnson, the paper lays out a protocol for NS-TEM of native spider silk protein micelle-like assemblies extracted directly from the spinning dope of spiders. Spider silk proteins prior to spinning are very sensitive to aggregation and preserving the native structure under EM staining conditions is challenging. Commonly used stains such uranyl acetate induce fibril formation because the stain is acidic and acidic pH is known to trigger fiber formation. By utilizing ammonium molybdate stain at pH 7, we were able to show that native silk superstructures could be preserved that closely matched our previously published cryoEM tomography data. Silk protein micelle pre-assembly is critical for fiber formation and we anticipate that this protocol will be useful for the characterization of other spider and silkworm silk dopes and those attempting to recapitulate this pre-assembly in recombinant silk systems. The published manuscript can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304399125000233 ...

New Langmuir Manuscript

Posted on October 30, 2024

in Graduates, Publications, Students

by Holland Lab

Holland Lab has a new manuscript out in Langmuir titled: "Aspartic Acid Binding on Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles with Varying Morphologies Investigated by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulation". The paper illustrates the significant impact nanoscale morphology has on biomolecule surface binding and organization. The study was led by recent lab PhD graduate and now lab post-doc, Yuan Li. Yuan used a bevy of SSNMR methods to structurally characterize aspartic acid adsorbed to HAP surfaces which was combined with MD simulations conducted by collaborator, Prof. Chris Lorenz @ King's College London. Excellent agreement was found between experimental SSNMR distance measurements and MD models providing atomistic-level structural insights of the bio-nano interface. This work is support by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Chemistry (CHE). The paper can be found here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02880 Yuan created some cool cover art that was published with the article: ...

New Advanced Functional Materials Paper

Posted on July 23, 2024

in Publications, Students

by Holland Lab

The lab has a new paper out in Advanced Functional Materials titled: "Unraveling the Molecular Origin of Prey-wrapping Spider Silk's Unique Mechanical Properties and Assembly Process Using NMR". Prey wrap spider silk exhibits high extensibility and superior toughness compared to other types of spider silk and is a promising target for biomaterials design. In this paper, the lab combines mechanical testing, solution NMR on native glands, SSNMR on spun fibers and AlphaFold structure prediction to elucidate the silk's unique liquid-to-solid transition and further correlate the silk fibers conformational structure with the silk's fantastic mechanics. These results and models are providing the fundamental basis for the design of biomimetic materials inspired by the prey wrap spider silk system. The study was led by lab post-doc, Kevin Chalek, with major contributions from David Onofrei, Julian Aldana, Hannah Johnson, and NREL scientist, Bennett Addison. For anyone interested, you can check out the paper here: Unraveling the Molecular Origin of Prey‐Wrapping Spider Silk's Unique Mechanical Properties and Assembly Process Using NMR onlinelibrary.wiley.com ...

Holland Lab Featured in San Diego Union Tribune

Posted on February 4, 2024

in Publications

by Holland Lab

In August 2023, the Holland Lab was featured in the San Diego Union Tribune. The article was on the front page of the Sunday paper! The article titled: "Rolling in the Money and Talent: SDSU Sets Up as Key Player in Science Scene" was focused on SDSU's growing research portfolio that totaled 192 M this past year. The Lab's spider silk research was featured in the article together with some nice pics of spiders and silk collection. The article can be found here: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/story/2023-08-27/sdsu-major-research-school ...

Holland Lab Publishes new Spider Silk Paper in Advanced Functional Materials (w/Cover Art!)

Posted on March 24, 2021

in Publications

by Holland Lab

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202170090 ...