Synthetic Spider Silk created - Polidicks

[quote]The production of synthetic spider silk has long been a goal of materials science because of the organic material's enviable properties of toughness, elasticity, flexibility, strength, and biodegradability. Finally, researchers at Nexia Biotechnologies Inc. (Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC, Canada) have mimicked these properties and successfully created recombinant spider silk, trade named BioSteel. The artificial material has the potential for a range of applications in the medical industry. Harvesting the silk proteins from goats' milk paves the way for applications in ophthalmology and neurosurgery. "We believe there are many potential applications of BioSteel within the medical device market. Applications where a flexible, tough, and strong fibre are desirable are the obvious targets," says Brad Cilley, vice president for medical devices at Nexia Biotechnologies. "One product market where these characteristics are desired is the specialty sutures market, which would include products designed for microsurgical and ophthalmic procedures. In this market, we believe BioSteel will yield a fibre with benefits relative to materials currently used," Cilley adds. BioSteel, close to spider silk with respect to modulus, has advantages over other medical polymers for medical applications. The revolutionary man-made material will provide the flexibility needed for stitching in delicate medical operations. "The advantages of BioSteel over current polymer materials within the medical device field are its toughness, high tensile strength–to-weight ratio, flexibility, and fineness," Cilley explains. During the first phase of BioSteel production, researchers created the material in bovine mammary epithelial alveolar cells. The second and current phase involves isolating the spider gene and then introducing it into a single-cell goat egg. Five months after the egg is placed inside the goat, the goat will give birth to a kid with one additional gene in its genetic makeup. The altered bucks will mate with female goats, producing foetal goats with the extra spider gene. Once developed, the female goats will produce the complete silk-protein chain in their milk, which will then be extracted, purified, and coagulated using chemical solvents, which will transform the liquid into solid fibres. Nexia is pursuing application of BioSteel aggressively and is in the process of confirming the material's biocompatibility and absorption properties. The company is currently conducting preliminary tests of the fibres for medical use in tubular grafts, sutures, and surgical mesh. Nexia anticipates launching the first BioSteel medical product in 2004. "We may develop end-use products for some applications, but are very interested in collaborating with others as a supplier of the BioSteel fibre," explains Cilley. "Although we are planning to produce the fibre for sale to product developers, we would welcome inquiries regarding possible licensing as well."[/quote] Source: [url]http://www.emdt.co.uk/article/researchers-create-synthetic-spider-silk[/url] This is gonna be big.

Thousands of spiders will lose their jobs.

I heard you can make some awesome body armor out of spider silk

Man this is late.

[QUOTE=jaredop;28012700]I heard you can make some awesome body armor out of spider silk[/QUOTE] Thats exactly what Nexia is doing at the moment. It's way better for the environment then Kevlar as well.

I have seen this thread before..

[quote] During the first phase of BioSteel production, researchers created the material in bovine mammary epithelial alveolar cells. The second and current phase involves isolating the spider gene and then introducing it into a single-cell goat egg. Five months after the egg is placed inside the goat, the goat will give birth to a kid with one additional gene in its genetic makeup. The altered bucks will mate with female goats, producing foetal goats with the extra spider gene. Once developed, the female goats will produce the complete silk-protein chain in their milk, which will then be extracted, purified, and coagulated using chemical solvents, which will transform the liquid into solid fibres.[/quote] It was at that moment when the superhero Spidergoat was born.

Might mean we can have full body Kevlar now, struck me as odd that Kevlar only protected the chest. I mean a shot in the inner thigh, neck or inner upper arm can mean death.

This article was published in 2002....

Google told me 2011, damn you google. [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] I'm 9 years behind the times.

If only I could travel to 2002 to get it....

2002, makes you wonder what actually ends up happening to projects like this. I want to get in touch with the original researchers and be like "WTF WHERE'S MY SPIDER SILK PAJAMAS!"

All cool stuff like this pop up, then disappear, what's up with that :saddowns:

[QUOTE=Bomber9900;28012715]Thats exactly what Nexia is doing at the moment. It's way better for the environment then Kevlar as well.[/QUOTE] Its fucking cool [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=animephreak135;28013485]2002, makes you wonder what actually ends up happening to projects like this. I want to get in touch with the original researchers and be like "WTF WHERE'S MY SPIDER SILK PAJAMAS!"[/QUOTE] Yeah

*Snip*

[QUOTE=animephreak135;28013485]2002, makes you wonder what actually ends up happening to projects like this. I want to get in touch with the original researchers and be like "WTF WHERE'S MY SPIDER SILK PAJAMAS!"[/QUOTE] It's been 9 fucking years and nothing, absolutely nothing has changed. What the hell happened to this? Someone please provide us with something that has actually been done with this new material [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] This is their site by the way [url]http://www.nexiabiotech.com/[/url] [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] Fuck yeah Bio technology

why do some many interesting projects like this seem to just disappear into some unknown void or something?

Get Arnold back to the movies instead of this useless crap

Right so I asked around, the goats are still in New York so.. [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Lufttygger306;28014914]Get Arnold back to the movies instead of this useless crap[/QUOTE] Useless crap? This has the potential to not only save many lives but reduce the environmental foot print that steel leaves behind as well as other polymers.

[QUOTE=Chevron;28012822]Might mean we can have full body Kevlar now, struck me as odd that Kevlar only protected the chest. I mean a shot in the inner thigh, neck or inner upper arm can mean death.[/QUOTE]Movement issue. The torso armour has trauma plate(s) (solid steel or ceramic) to stop bullets, the kevlar material on it's own isn't good enough. Putting plates on all limbs would be very detrimental to a person's ability to move unhindered.

I want my fucking spider silk shoes for training.

This would be useful in minecraft.

is this another one of those "We believe this would have amazing practical use in the future, if it wasn't completely fucking unviable" things?

No, they actually made substantial progress, no idea what happened to it now though.

[QUOTE=Raiskauskone V2;28014624]It's been 9 fucking years and nothing, absolutely nothing has changed. What the hell happened to this? Someone please provide us with something that has actually been done with this new material [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] This is their site by the way [url]http://www.nexiabiotech.com/[/url] [editline]12th February 2011[/editline] Fuck yeah Bio technology[/QUOTE]Last actual update on their site seems to be from 2007 :frown:

Just great, goat milk prices will go trough the roof.

[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;28016554]Last actual update on their site seems to be from 2007 :frown:[/QUOTE] Maybe someone should email them and ask what's up?

[QUOTE=jaredop;28012700]I heard you can make some awesome body armor out of spider silk[/QUOTE] [img]http://www.watchthecapestreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/the-cape.jpeg[/img] That's what this dude's cape is made out of on the show. Not a particularly great show, just thought of that though.

[QUOTE=Rellow;28012663]Thousands of spiders will lose their jobs.[/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzivCJ9pzU[/media] Like so?

[quote]Harvesting the silk proteins from goats' milk[/quote]Inb4 genetically manipulated goats who will spin indestructible 3cm thick ropes from their udders.