Genetically-modified marine bacteria able to produce synthetic spider silk


A marine bacterium has been genetically engineered to produce spider's silk, a material with many applications, including in the medical, aerospace and clothing industries.

The silk that spiders use to form the spokes of their web is called dragline silk, and it's tough, lightweight and biodegradable. It's also biocompatible, which means it is compatible with living tissue and is not attacked by an animal's immune system.

"This makes it safe for use in biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems, implant devices, and scaffolds for tissue engineering," said Choon Pin Foong, who was involved in the study to mass-produce the silk.

Read in BBC Science Focus Magazine: https://apple.news/AV-sTtvLhSh6tt1mIDHfltw



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