Artificial Silk Ducts
Is it just me, or does it seem like the future we’re heading towards is written by Stan Lee? After the marvels of snake like robots, German scientists have created a glass chip that spins silk by emulating a spider’s silk ducts.
Spiders’ silk ducts contain glands that process a gel of simple proteins into long fibres of protein. Different glands alter the chemistry of the gel in different ways, producing silk with different properties. The artificial duct is a glass chip shot through with tiny tubes that tries to mimic those processes. The team has not tested the artificial silk’s mechanical properties, but its grainy appearance suggests it does not yet rival the quality of the real thing. Refinements are underway with the goal of making industrial quantities of artificial silk.
Can’t be long now until some geeky lab technician wires a prototype up to some wristbands to impress the ladies.
The future? Make mine Marvel!
from New Scientist
It’s not just you, Stan Lee was writing science fiction, which often leads to futurism, dontcha know.
Just so long as no-one starts cloning norse gods.
What happened to the spider goat?