
Spinning spider silk is now possible - mhb
http://www.slu.se/en/ew-news/2017/1/spinning-spider-silk-is-now-possible/
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telotortium
How does this compare to the technology developed by Bolt Threads, which is
already in at least pilot-stage manufacturing?

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djrogers
What are the advantages of spider silk over modern materials such as kevlar
and spectra?

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allenz
From the article: "it is well tolerated when implanted in tissues, it is
light-weight but stronger than steel, and it is also biodegradable".

In addition, we know that it's possible to produce protein fibers sustainably.

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ralfd
The biodegradability would make it okay for cloths, but not for much else,
doesn't it?

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allenz
There's plenty of applications for disposable materials such as medical
supplies and bulletproof vests. If it's biocompatible, we could use it for
flexible sutures and organ scaffolds. Further, proteins are easy to modify.
Perhaps we can key the biodegradability to a specific chemical/environmental
catalyst, so in normal usage it is as durable as plastic.

