On Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30pm, Cheryl Hayashi will present a lecture, “Biodiversity of Spider Silk,” at the San Bernardino County Museum. This presentation is open to public and free of charge.

Spiders are a megadiverse group of arthropods. There are more than 39,000 species of spiders, and their reliance on silk for critical ecological functions such as reproduction, prey capture, predator avoidance, and dispersal is remarkable. Some of the most spectacular aspects of spider diversity are the extensive innovations in silk use that have evolved over the past 300 million years. For example, some species lay down trip lines that radiate from their retreats to detect passing prey, some construct elaborate silk trap doors for their burrows, and others build symmetrical aerial nets that catch flying insects.

In her lecture, Hayashi will share recent discoveries about the mechanical performance and genetics of spider silks. She will also discuss how this newly deciphered information is being used to replicate the amazing properties of silk for medical, military, and industrial applications.

Cheryl Hayashi is a professor of biology at the University of California, Riverside. She received her B.S. in biology from Yale University. As an undergraduate, she worked at the Peabody Museum of Natural History’s Discovery Room for children. Her graduate studies on spider phylogenetics were done jointly at Yale and the American Museum of Natural History. She delved into the molecular biology of spider silk as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Wyoming. Since arriving at U.C. Riverside, she has been running a research lab focused on the study of silk and silk-producing arthropods.

The San Bernardino County Museum sponsors its guest lecture series to share current research by prominent researchers and scholars with the public. Scheduled for this year’s series are Gene Fowler on Magellanic penguins (May 27), and Luis Chiappe on glorified dinosaurs (June 24). The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.