Got Silk? -- Biotech Applications

Imagine spinning goat milk into spider silk five times stronger than steel! Scientists have found a way to put a whole new spin on genetic research. It's called biomimicry. Scientists are now able to mimic a spider's web by breeding goats with spider genes in their mammary cells. The goat's milk contains a protein that can be spun and stretched into a fine silk fit to cover Spiderman -- the spidergoat is here.

All 50 Secrets of the Sequence videos have an accompanying classroom-tested lesson that encourages students to further explore the video topics. Each lesson includes background information, state and national science standards, discussion questions and answers, teacher notes and an activity that will ensure a hands-on, "minds-on" experience. To see lessons for this series, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/secretsofthesequence/.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• vcu
• virginia
• commonwealth
• university
• richmond
• rams
• medicine
• gene
• dna
• science
• biomimicry
• cells
• biology
• genetics

[frozenlabyrinth]

this is sooo awesome!!

[broughton75]

its funny how they can try to justify making it right... but chaos insues we will only ourselves to blame

[etgon]

I

told my science teacher this. She didnt like it.

[quiettornado1970]

@meatisdeliciouse just eat garlic to prevent yourself from getting colds. I only get minor colds once a year and they only last two days.

[meatisdeliciouse]

I wish they would genetical alter humans so they never got colds or cold sores. I hate seing people with a cold sore and I avoid them like the plague. When nano technology is avilible or some GM virus killer I want to see cold HIV and cold sores wiped out forever. Can you genetical engenear a killer of varucas? Maybe nonos could destroy all traces of them forever: ) How strong is spiders web compared to high tensile steel?

[RonPaulSwede]

This is so stupid, no one knows what can happen they just do it.

To play with this is like a cave monkey assembling a computer, it fumbles until it thinks it should work. Wow, we are stupid.

[bleeper2147]

Bedbugs transfer genes from one animal to another. Want your offspring to have some spider genes?

[EliteDWB]

@researchOne23 and plus it stops bullets. what more could a man want haha.

[shitpickle1128]

coool

[mchfltchr]

@Sacksyj

There are in fact some species of spider that are not cannibals, in fact one species, Theridion nigroannulatum, a small spider which inhabits Ecuador form cooperative communities. Yet only a fraction of a percent of the 39,000 identified spider species have been known to cooperate. So it is safe to say that, in general, spiders are cannibals. The spiders that are being studied for their silks' unique qualities such as the golden orb spider and the black widow are cannibals.