Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 08:14 am

your spiderman cosplay is about to become super realistic

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We are living in the future, and finally, we can be try the train stunt from Spiderman II. Coming to a Wal-Mart near you.
Researchers have tried for years to get the best of both worlds - super-strong silk in industrial quantities - by transplanting genes from spiders into worms. But the resulting genetically modified worms have not produced enough spider silk until now.

GM worms produced by a team led by Professor Don Jarvis of Wyoming University seem to be producing a composite of worm and spider silk in large amounts - which the researchers say is just as tough as spider silk.


...do we call them spiderworms? There is nothing about that word that doesn't make me flinch.
tags:
medie: queen elsa's grand entrance (leverage - hardison - wtf)

From: [personal profile] medie Date: 2012-01-04 10:28 pm (UTC)
...I can't help but feel we are watching the genesis of a Syfy disaster movie...

Possibly one with Antonio Sabato Jr.

From: [identity profile] an-sceal.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:30 pm (UTC)
I want some of that silk to spin. I bet it'll be years before it becomes available to handspinners.

And then we'll be able to knit our own webs to sling!

From: [identity profile] seperis.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:36 pm (UTC)
Can you imagine web-doilies? I WANT.

Or a big web-afghan.

From: [identity profile] an-sceal.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:39 pm (UTC)
Web shawl for me. For warmth and super-secret bad guy catching.

From: [identity profile] seperis.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:42 pm (UTC)
So much word.

From: [identity profile] an-sceal.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 03:05 pm (UTC)
Maybe classic Faroese, so I don't have to wrestle to keep it on my shoulders. Or a Pi shawl, to complete the circle of geekery.

From: [identity profile] ivy03.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:33 pm (UTC)
Do you think they'd use it for clothes, or just industrial applications? Cause, even though regular silk comes out of worms butts, I don't see "spider silk" being a big consumer selling point.

From: [identity profile] seperis.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:38 pm (UTC)
I don't see "spider silk" being a big consumer selling point.

IDK, imagine the packaging with the happy spiderworm (ewww) saving trains with their hand-knitted webs?

The cosplayers alone could fund a plant for this, is what I'm saying.

From: [identity profile] ivy03.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:41 pm (UTC)
Oh, I'd but it in a second. Spiderworm silk long johns? Yes please! I just don't see it showing up in Walmart, is what I'm saying.

From: [identity profile] seperis.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 02:43 pm (UTC)
Maybe Target?

From: [identity profile] fanaddict.livejournal.com Date: 2012-01-04 03:20 pm (UTC)
This has more practically applications than the glowing green kittens, but I prefer cute kitty nightlights to spiderworms.

On a more serious note, having worked in a lab, I think in just about every research lab ever there have been lab meetings that devolved into "wouldn't it be cool if we stuck gene A into animal B and see what happens". And then sometimes they actually do it.
thornsilver: (alone)

From: [personal profile] thornsilver Date: 2012-01-07 01:30 am (UTC)
That is rather discouraging. :0

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