Synthesizing spider thread—which is stronger than nylon and even some metals—has been a vexing problem. Until now.
A Japanese startup claims it has cracked the knotty problem of commercializing the production of spider thread, which, gram for gram, is stronger than nylon and even many metals. As one of nature’s super-substances — tougher than Kevlar yet significantly more elastic — scientists have been trying to recreate it in significant quantities in labs but failed for over a decade.
By using synthetic biology techniques and a new spinning technology, Spiber Inc. says it is now able to produce many hundreds of grams of synthetic spider silk protein where past efforts have produced less than a few grams over a day. One gram of the special protein produces about 9,000 meters (29,527 feet) of silk.
The breakthrough, says the inventor and Spiber’s president, Kazuhide Sekiyama, is that unlike other attempts to synthesize spider thread the Japanese researchers did not try to copy the spider’s little-understood spinning action. Using duct-like spinnerets, spiders rearrange a simple protein to turn it into silk. “We make fibers using a totally artificial process,” he told Fortune.
In the world of biomimicry, or biomimetics, where cutting edge analytical techniques are helping put some of nature’s better ideas to work in industry, spider silk is something of a holy grail.
Engineers have been adept up to now at synthesizing a range of extremely useful materials. But they could do better. Kevlar, for example, is a remarkably strong fiber used in aeronautics and bullet-proof vests. Made by heating petroleum products to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, then applying substantial pressure, the fiber is teased out to make the final fabric.
To a spider, the process would seem a tad hyperactive. Without using anything like that kind of heat, spiders produce a material that’s many times stronger than Kevlar, not to mention biodegradable. Clearly, a synthetic equivalent of spider thread would be of enormous benefit. Biomimetics and synthetic biology helps scientists create spider thread not by copying it exactly but by incorporating some of nature’s design aspects. It also shows the potential of such synthetic biology — breaking down nature into spare parts and then rebuilding them back up as desired.
This can take inventors down some strange avenues. Ten years ago, U.S. researchers came up with the idea of creating “Spider goats” that had their milk genes altered with spider DNA. The resultant animal’s milk contained the spider silk protein which was then extracted following milking. After that the task got harder.
So far, what has held scientists back, says Michelle Oyen, professor of Mechanics of Biological Materials at the University of Cambridge, is understanding the natural materials well enough to mimic them. “In the case of spider silk, we can copy the gene sequences responsible for silk and transfer them elsewhere, as with the goat’s milk case,” she says. “But we then have to mimic the spider’s silk spinneret in order to form the proteins into fibers, and that’s tricky and has been one of the limitations to date.”
Spiber, capitalized at 780 million yen, is now capable of producing up to 1 kg of the silk protein a day and is confident enough to form a joint venture with a Toyota (TM) subsidiary to commercialize production.
The Latest Bing News on:
Synthesizing spider thread
- 25 essential albums produced by Tony Viscontion April 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm
If only for his lifelong collaboration with David Bowie, Tony Visconti would be among the greatest record producers of the rock era. Visconti and Bowie bonded early in the singer’s career and ...
- KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN - A Common Thread Theatre Company Cruise Auditionson April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Kiss of the Spider Woman revamps a harrowing tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty reality with liberating fantasy. Cell mates in a Latin American prison ...
- KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN - A Common Thread Theatre Company Non Equity Auditionson April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Kiss of the Spider Woman revamps a harrowing tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty reality with liberating fantasy. Cell mates in a Latin American prison ...
- 10 Good Guys From the Past Who Weren't That Goodon March 26, 2024 at 6:53 am
AUTHOR: Ben Rice Oprah appears in this thread a lot. Sadly, her rise to fame came with misfortune for others, as Bill Burr once insinuated. "Oprah … has put a lot of dangerous people and ideas ...
- Fiat 124 Spider 2017-2020 Quick Driveon January 24, 2024 at 6:37 pm
Fiat's new two-seat convertible is sporty, responsive, and fun to drive. The Spider is based on Mazda's MX-5 Miata, and it retains that car's essence.
- I tried a hi-tech fix for thread veins – here’s what happenedon October 19, 2023 at 9:05 am
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. So I decided to try intense pulsed light (IPL), a treatment option that can diminish the appearance of what most of us call spider, thread or broken veins, but technically ...
- "The Spider's Thread" by Akutagawa Ryunosukeon October 8, 2023 at 5:00 pm
This story is based on a Buddhist worldview in which people continually reincarnate after death. Those with the worst behavior end up in hell. And paradise is the final destination attainable only ...
- Here's Where You Can Stream All the Spider-Man Movieson April 21, 2023 at 7:04 am
Note: Watch until the end of the credits to see more Spider threads come together. Talk about full circle: The third chapter in Watts' Spider-Man series sees Spidey pay a visit to Dr. Strange.
- Here's Where You Can Stream All the Spider-Man Movieson April 21, 2023 at 6:57 am
This rings truest of all for our friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man: Even before the Marvel MCU movies introduced the concept of multiverses, disagreements with directors, complications with the ...
- New Treatments for Varicose Veinson August 29, 2022 at 12:58 pm
A quarter of varicose vein sufferers are men, although Weiss notes that it is almost always women who seek help for spider veins. Spider veins, the more delicate red or blue tracings that can pop ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Synthesizing spider thread
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Synthesizing spider thread” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Spider silk
- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Reports Signing Landmark Agreements in South East Asiaon April 29, 2024 at 12:04 am
The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking ...
- Swimming and spinning aquatic spiders use slick survival strategieson April 28, 2024 at 4:11 am
In another study, researchers investigated the genes used in the silk glands of aquatic and land spiders. They found that water-spider silk seems to have a high proportion of the water-repelling amino ...
- ‘Silk’ Review: Unspooling a Global Commodityon April 26, 2024 at 8:09 am
For thousands of years, moth larvae have been farmed for silk. Industries and economies still rely on the precious fibers.
- Silk, The Ancient Material With High-Tech Possibilitieson April 25, 2024 at 11:47 am
Silk: A World History” describes the unique qualities of silk that make it a sustainable material with a wide variety of applications.
- Researchers are developing body armor made from silk—but this apparently cutting-edge idea is centuries oldon April 9, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The researchers modified the genes of silkworms to make them produce spider silk instead of their own silk. Harnessing the properties of spider silk has been a longstanding aim because the ...
- Qatar Seen As Potential Pioneer In Spider Silk's Biomedical Useon April 7, 2024 at 8:02 pm
Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art's (MIA) ongoing“Golden Spider Silk” exhibition has not only captivated visitors but has also sparked potential collaborations with Qatar to advance ...
- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Shares Industry Update on Recombinant Spider Silk from Waste Plasticson March 27, 2024 at 9:05 pm
March 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("Kraig Labs" or "the Company"), comments on an exciting advancement in spider silk engineering from the ...
- Production of spider silk proteins in tobacco and potatoon March 19, 2024 at 5:31 pm
The dragline silk of the spider Nephila clavipes has a high tensile strength that is comparable to that of the synthetic superfiber Kevlar, but it additionally shows high elasticity 1. Such ...
- Spiders and Ticks Newson March 18, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Spider Silk Is Spun by Silkworms for the First Time, Offering a Green Alternative to Synthetic Fibers Sep. 20, 2023 — Scientists have synthesized spider silk from genetically modified silkworms ...
- New ways to strengthen biomimetic spider-silkon March 4, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Spider silk is known for being a strong and environmentally friendly material, while biomimetic spider silk-like fibers currently fall short in terms of mechanical performance. One strategy to ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Spider silk
[google_news title=”” keyword=”spider silk” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]