In nature, spider silk is a magical material that can be used to make super strong fabrics. So why did no one think of building a "spider silk farm"? Perhaps spiders are too difficult to "cooperate", and it has been difficult to achieve manually before.

       Science and Technology Development · Artificial Spider Silk

       In order to solve this problem, many laboratories have tried artificial spider silk, and even considered transferring spider DNA into silkworm.

       The good news is that after unremitting efforts, scientists have finally built a new machine, which brings us closer to the future textile materials.

       This spider's secret skill is to secrete a protein solution through a long and narrow pipe. When it passes through the pipe, the pressure will connect it together to create spider silk fiber.

       Advantages and limitations

       According to the research report in the recently published journal Nature Chemistry and Biology, researchers have designed a similar machine that can combine two kinds of natural spider silk proteins.

       With this machine, researchers have produced the strongest artificial spider silk to date. Its properties are almost the same as those of real spider silk, which is biodegradable and has low manufacturing cost.

       The way of extracting silk fiber through silkworm rearing for thousands of years is expected to be changed in the future.

       However, the progress made today does not mean that it can be put into mass production soon, because currently only one machine has been built, and scientists have only spun about 1km of materials. Therefore, large-scale production needs to wait.

       The researchers of the Brazilian Institute of Genetic Resources and Biotechnology recently successfully produced artificial spider silk in the laboratory. They believe that this is a scientific research achievement with high commercial application value.

       According to the researchers of the project, the spider silk protein needed for the experiment was synthesized in the laboratory with the help of E. coli.

       The researchers diluted Escherichia coli in liquid medium to synthesize spider silk protein with specific DNA sequence, and then obtained the protein fiber with a special syringe.

       The diameter of the artificial spider silk made by this method is about 40 nanometers, 10 to 20 times thicker than the natural spider silk. In the future, researchers will also test the extensibility and toughness of this artificial spider silk.

       Alibior, a biotechnology expert in charge of the experimental project, said that this artificial spider silk not only has the advantages of good elasticity and toughness, but also can be biodegradable. It is expected to be used in textile materials, medical treatment, aircraft and ship manufacturing and other fields in the future.