First came Spider-Man -- now come spider worms.
Scientists at the University of Notre Dame have inserted spiders' genes into silkworms, creating a transgenic breed of worm that could be capable of mass-producing superstrong silk.
We nearly doubled the strength of the silkworm's silk, Dr. Malcolm Fraser, a researcher and professor of biological science at the University of Notre Dame, told AOL News.
Spider silk is a coveted material known for its strength and flexibility. But while textile makers have learned to harvest large amounts of silk from silkworms, they haven't been able to domesticate silk-producing spiders -- keeping superstrong spider silks off the market.
But Fraser's findings could change all that.
By using piggyBac -- a piece of DNA called a transposon that was discovered by Fraser -- experts from the University of Notre Dame, the University of Wyoming, and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. were able to insert a bit of spider DNA into silkworms' cells.
When these transgenic silkworms make their cocoons, they use a combination of silkworm silk and artificial spider silk that has greater strength and elasticity than ordinary silkworm silk.
Full story: http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/a...ng-spider-silk-with-transgenic-breed/19672245
Scientists at the University of Notre Dame have inserted spiders' genes into silkworms, creating a transgenic breed of worm that could be capable of mass-producing superstrong silk.
We nearly doubled the strength of the silkworm's silk, Dr. Malcolm Fraser, a researcher and professor of biological science at the University of Notre Dame, told AOL News.
Spider silk is a coveted material known for its strength and flexibility. But while textile makers have learned to harvest large amounts of silk from silkworms, they haven't been able to domesticate silk-producing spiders -- keeping superstrong spider silks off the market.
But Fraser's findings could change all that.
By using piggyBac -- a piece of DNA called a transposon that was discovered by Fraser -- experts from the University of Notre Dame, the University of Wyoming, and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. were able to insert a bit of spider DNA into silkworms' cells.
When these transgenic silkworms make their cocoons, they use a combination of silkworm silk and artificial spider silk that has greater strength and elasticity than ordinary silkworm silk.
Full story: http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/a...ng-spider-silk-with-transgenic-breed/19672245
