A step towards spider clothes

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, along with the universities of Munich and Oxford, has created out of genes from the bodies of spiders a form of web which is likely to be developed for commercial use.

The scientists used genes from the garden spider which contain a protein known as dragline silk. It is six times stronger than nylon and steel fibre of the same diameter.

"From a practical viewpoint, mass production of fibres whose diameter is one-thousandth of a millimetre is likely to be useful in the future for the manufacture of bulletproof vests, surgical thread, micro-conductors, optical fibres and fishing rods," said Israeli developmental biologist Uri Gat.

"Even new types of clothing may be envisioned."

Via IOL.