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AP/Press Association Images

Super-strong man-made spider silk could soon be used to repair spinal cords

The material is one of nature’s strongest materials but it’s notoriously hard to farm.

SUPPLE, LIGHT AND biodegradable but stronger than steel: researchers say they have succeeded in producing synthetic spider silk, one of nature’s strongest materials.

Refined through the long process of evolution, the silk threads spun by spiders are 30 times thinner than a human hair and stronger even than Kevlar, a synthetic fibre used in making bullet-proof vests.

Scientists have long strived to copy the unique properties of the threads — essentially long chains of linked protein molecules.

When spinning, the spider secretes a protein solution through a narrow duct, along which the acidity changes and pressure increases, causing the molecules to link up and form chains.

But spiders are notoriously difficult to farm — producing small quantities of silk, and with a propensity for eating each other.

Now a team from Sweden said they have managed to copy the spider’s feat using proteins in E.coli bacteria and a “spinning apparatus” which mimics the pH changes that spiders use to make silk.

“This allowed us for the first time to spin artificial spider silk without using harsh chemicals,” study co-author Jan Johansson of the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences in Uppsala told AFP.

The high amounts of proteins produced in bacteria allow us to spin a kilometre of the biomimetic fibres from just one litre of E.coli culture.

The threads are bio-compatible and may prove useful in regenerative medicine, the team said.

They may be used, Johansson said, for spinal cord repair or in growing stem cells to repair damaged hearts.

The invention may also be useful in the textile industry — to make even lighter and stronger body protection, for example.

The study was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

© – AFP 2017

Read: Humans have a new organ and it’s thanks to surgeons in Limerick >

Read: Ten thousand spiders have have set up webbed camp on a bridge in Ohio >

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Jan 9th 2017, 10:38 PM

    Man made spider silk. You’d have to Marvel at it.

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    Mute Patrick Kavanagh
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    Jan 9th 2017, 10:48 PM

    Spinal Man, Spinal Man, friendly neighborhood Spinal Man…

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    Mute Danny G
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    Jan 9th 2017, 10:55 PM

    I saw this on the Web earlier!

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    Mute The Viking
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    Jan 9th 2017, 10:35 PM

    Great work. Another giant step that needs to be taken wisely.

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    Mute Luke Campion
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    Jan 10th 2017, 1:16 AM

    They’ve been doing this for years using goats with particular spider genes in their Dna…think it was a Horizon documentary,really cool to see large spools of spider silk being reeled out of goats milk.

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    Mute MARK O 'LEARY
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    Jan 9th 2017, 11:00 PM

    Whose gonna milk these spindley feckers?

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    Mute
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    Jan 9th 2017, 11:21 PM

    If its got nipples, I can milk it!

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    Mute Liam John Bradshaw
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    Jan 10th 2017, 10:23 AM

    I’m sure there’s 1,000′s of people who’ll benefit from this new discovery in time to come. A fantastic discovery!

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jan 9th 2017, 11:57 PM

    Thanks be to god, thought ye were expecting more work from the spiders there for a sec!

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    Mute Stephen
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    Jan 10th 2017, 12:24 PM

    Think of the potential in construction, bridges, sailing, body armour

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