In the textile industry, some garments are made from artificial fibers such as nylon and Kevlar. These fibers are derived from fossil fuels and can leach microplastics into the environment, posing health risks to living organisms.

Scientists have considered spider silk a greener alternative to these artificial fibers, but the spiders that produce this fiber are hard to farm. These animals eat each other and produce only a small amount of silk fiber to make their webs.

Fibers From Genetically Modified Silkworms

Silkworm silk is currently the only animal silk fiber produced commercially on a large scale, but its mechanical properties limit its applications to the textile industry. Meanwhile, spider silk has exceptional strength, even stronger than steel, and elasticity, making it useful in medicine, aerospace, and the military. Because of this, experts continue to find ways to leverage cost-effective, large-scale production of spider silk fiber.

Scientists in China focused on synthesizing spider silk from genetically engineered silkworms. The resulting fiber has tensile strength and toughness six times greater than the Kevlar used in making bulletproof vests.

In creating spider silk from silkworms, the silkworm's DNA was inserted with genes for spider silk proteins to ensure they will be expressed in their glands. This was done using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology and hundreds of thousands of microinjections into fertilized silkworm eggs.

The researchers also had to make localized modifications of the transgenic spider silk proteins to allow them to interact with the silk glands of the silkworms effectively. This approach will enable the scientists to facilitate proper fiber spinning. The team also developed a minimal basic structure model for silkworm silk to guide these modifications.

Previous methods of spinning artificial spider silk struggle to apply a surface layer of glycoproteins and lipids to withstand sunlight exposure and humidity. The method developed in this study solves this challenge by modifying the silkworms genetically, enabling them to coat their fibers with the same protective layer.

This experiment was the first to create full-length spider silk proteins from silkworms successfully. It demonstrates a technique that can be used in manufacturing an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic commercial fibers.

READ ALSO: Spider Silk: Research Reveals Cobweb's Role in Treating Wound; Scientists Attempt Detection of Antimicrobial Activity

Other Uses of Spider Silk

Humans have been using spider silk for thousands of years. Cobwebs were used by the ancient Greeks to stop wounds from bleeding, while the Aborigines used silk as fishing lines for small fish. Silk was also used as the fiber in optical targeting devices like guns and telescopes until World War II.

In modern times, scientists have expressed their interest in spider silk due to its mechanical properties and the sustainable way it is produced. Spider silk has the potential to replace Kevlar in making a diverse range of items, such as bulletproof vests and wear-resistant lightweight clothing.

In medicine, spider silk has found its application in making bandages and surgical threads. Additionally, it can be useful in creating artificial tendons or ligaments and as support for weak blood vessels.

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Check out more news and information on Spider Silk in Science Times.