Did a spider spin that silk negligee?

• Position: YOUR LIFE

Silkworms have been genetically engineered to spin silk containing spider silk proteins by researchers from the University of Wyoming, Laramie; Notre Dame University, South Bend, Ind.; and China's Zhejiang University. Those fibers are stronger than fibers normally spun by silkworms and almost as tough as spider silk.

The development opens the door to what could be the most efficient and economically feasible way of producing spider silk-like fibers for human uses, says project leader Don Jarvis, professor of molecular biology at UW. 'These results demonstrate that silkworms can be engineered to manufacture composite silk fibers containing stably integrated spider silk protein sequences, which significantly improve the overall mechanical properties of the parental silkworm silk fibers.

"Silk fiber holds great potential as biomaterials for wound dressings, artificial ligaments, tendons, tissue scaffolds, microcapsules, and other applications, and this takes us closer to reaching that potential."

Researchers identified the genetic sequences that allow spiders to spin their especially strong and elastic webs. Because territorialism and cannibalism among spiders precludes spider farming as a viable means of manufacturing...