The new material could be used to create super-strong, long-lasting surgical sutures for stitches and more comfortable clothing.
Chinese scientists have genetically modified silkworms to create a material six times stronger than Kevlar. The latter is used in body armor, writes IFLScience.
“The threads created by silkworms, that is, silkworm caterpillars to create cocoons from which a butterfly will emerge, are light and at the same time strong. But, if we talk about the ratio of weight and strength, then these threads cannot be compared to the threads “that spiders create for their webs. Spider webs are designed to hold back fast-moving prey, and some species have spent millions of years perfecting this ability. But assembling the webs to create such a strong fabric has proven to be a very difficult task,” the scientists said.
They decided to add spider genes to silkworms to obtain threads of incredible strength using CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
“We introduced the spider web protein genes into the silkworm’s DNA to express them in their glands. In nature, spiders put such a layer on their web. Here the genetically modified silkworms solved the this problem, because silkworms cover their fibers with a similar protective layer,” they added. experts.
We remind you that early scientists transplanted a pig’s kidney into a human.
Source: korrespondent
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