Biologists have inserted spider genes into silkworms, allowing them to produce strong, elastic threads that may be used to make sutures and wound-healing bandages as well as bulletproof vests and ...

Silkworm silk typically consists of protein fibers sheathed in a glue-like substance. That glue helps the silk fibers stick together in cocoons, but it’s an impediment to spinning it.

Silkworms yield 80,000 to 100,000 tons of commercial silk annually, says Vollrath. Now, he and a coworker have found that fibers directly reeled out of silkworms’ bodies can have improved ...

“We can make a lot more silk from the silkworm process than you could possibly make from spiders,” \[…\] Skip to main content. Open Navigation Menu. Mutant Worms Produce Piles of Spider Silk.

We've cloned a number of spider silk proteins now, and managed to express them in everything from bacteria to goats. None of these methods end up making much in the way of protein, however, and ...

Silkworms transformed with chimeric silkworm/spider silk genes spin composite silk fibers with improved mechanical properties. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 2012; DOI: 10.1073 ...

Making silkworms produce fluorescent silk could make the coloring process a little more environmentally friendly - less water, less dye. There are also medical applications too.

Researchers have genetically engineered silkworms to make artificial spider silk. In the future, large scale production of artificial spider silk could lead to the development of stronger fibers ...

Predatory spiders spin out their silk to make webs and cocoons, while a silkworm uses the silk to produce cocoons for metamorphoses. The fibers that they make are lightweight, elastic, and strong.

To create these "spider silkworms," Jarvis and colleagues inserted DNA for a type of spider silk that's both stretchy and strong into silkworm eggs. To make sure the genetic transformation was a ...

Silk has been used in surgical sutures for hundreds of years and is now emerging as a promising nature-based option for ...