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Genetically Engineered Silkworms Spin Spider Silk

Posted by timothy on from the waiting-for-the-spider-silk-boxers dept.

disco_tracy writes "Silkworms have been modified to produce spider silk, creating a fabric that could be used in everything from bulletproof clothing to artificial tendons." For some reason, this is far less revolting to me than the idea of spider silk being milked out of goats.

11 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Spider-Worm Spider-Worm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does whatever a spider, um...

  2. Spider Worms? by nofx_3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "They're takin our jerbs!"

    -The Spider Goats

    --
    Visualize Whirled Peas
    1. Re:Spider Worms? by ooshna · · Score: 2, Funny

      took er jerbs!

    2. Re:Spider Worms? by stms · · Score: 2, Funny

      derber derrr!!!

  3. Just one client, but... by gmuslera · · Score: 2, Funny

    Using that silk should produce extra-sharp scytes...maybe you could even skip a lot of the required steps and sharpen them next directly with moonlight.

  4. Re:anyone got an Athlon II X4, please test it! by some_guy_88 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I agree, genetically engineered silkworms *are* cool.

  5. Relief by dark+grep · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well that's a relief. I much prefer the idea of a Really Big Silk Worm than a Really Big Spider to spin the cable for the space elevator. I for one welcome our new silk moth overlords.

  6. Just wait until... by poly_pusher · · Score: 2, Funny

    somebody tries to tape these things to their wrists and jump out of a window in a leotard...

  7. Re:Cool by Rogerborg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Look at the Nazi scientists at Monsanto.

    To be fair, Monsanto has changed recently: wearing SS uniforms in the lab is no longer strictly mandatory.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  8. Re:Almost there by ultranova · · Score: 5, Funny

    Double the points if the silk worms will start catching flies instead of eating 104 kg of mulberry leaves for each kilo of silk.

    Triple the points if the worms escape, block the doors to the laboratory with unbreakable spider silk sheet, then eat the scientists.

    Quadruple them if they somehow mutate into an army of Shelobs and terrorize the general population.

    --

    Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  9. Re:Cool by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Mithril vest could become a reality again!

    This reminds me...can anyone explain how spider silk can be made into bullet-proof vests?

    When someone starts shooting at my house, I don't immediately think "Let me go find a spider-web to hide behind". At my house. When the shooting starts.

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    You are welcome on my lawn.