A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
Bolt Threads, a Bay Area startup, which announced a new $40 million round funding on Thursday, is giving spiders and silkworms a run for their money. The company has developed a synthetic, “programmable” alternative to larval- or arachnid-produced silk. Continue reading… ““Stronger than steel” clothes from yeast-engineered silk”
Sensors pick up the change when a fruit ripens or rots.
Have you ever taken a big gulp of milk only to find out then that the milk is sour.? A new technology will let you simply wave your phone over it–or any food–to get a verdict on whether it’s still edible.
Continue reading… “Edible silk sensors let you know if your food is spoiled”
Spider silk could be an ideal answer for helping heal wounds.
Researchers may have found a better alternative for providing skin grafts to wounds. It turns out that spider silk is legendary for its strength, as well as its possible healing properties. Tissue engineer Hanna Wendt at Medical School Hannover in Germany honed in on this and found that by creating an artificial skin spun from spider silk, we could have an ideal answer for helping heal wounds.
Transgenic silkworms capable of spinning artificial spider silks.
US biologists may have one-upped Spiderman, genetically modifying silkworms to produce spider silk with properties similar to natural spider web, a stunning achievement with vast potential medical and textile use. (video)
Continue reading… “Genetically Modified Silkworms Produce Spider Silk”
Caerostris darwini, a giant orb spider and namesake of Charles Darwin, weaves a web of tremendous strength and size.
The antithesis of the itsy-bitsy spider, Caerostris darwini, a giant orb spider and namesake of Charles Darwin, weaves a web of super strength never before seen, says Dr. Todd Blackledge, Leuchtag Endowed Chair at The University of Akron.
Continue reading… “Giant Spider Weaves Web of Super Strength Never Before Seen”
A biosensor made from silk and gold can pick up tiny signals from proteins and chemicals in the body.
Silk and gold, usually a pairing for the runways of Milan, are now the main ingredients for a new kind of implantable biosensor. Researchers at Tufts University have crafted a small antenna from liquid silk and micropatterned gold. The antenna is designed to spot specific proteins and chemicals in the body, and alert doctors wirelessly to signs of disease. Scientists say the implant could someday help patients with diabetes track their glucose levels without having to test themselves daily.
Continue reading… “An Implantable Biosensor Could Alert Doctors to Signs of Disease”
Goats that produce spider silk protein in their milk could enable researchers to collect large quantities of the silk.
Researchers from the University of Wyoming have developed a way to incorporate spiders’ silk-spinning genes into goats, allowing the researchers to harvest the silk protein from the goats’ milk for a variety of applications. For instance, due to its strength and elasticity, spider silk fiber could have several medical uses, such as for making artificial ligaments and tendons, for eye sutures, and for jaw repair. The silk could also have applications in bulletproof vests and improved car airbags.
Continue reading… “Scientists Incorporate Spider’s Silk-Spinning Genes Into Goats”
“These implants have the potential to maximize the contact between electrodes and brain tissue, while minimizing damage to the brain,” said Dr. Walter Koroshetz of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, which helped pay for the study.
“They could provide a platform for a range of devices with applications in epilepsy, spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.”
When you go to China, be adventurous and try the food that the locals enjoy. In fact, the street food of Beijing is quite an adventure. (Pics)
Continue reading… “The Street Food of Beijing”
Researchers at Australia’s Monash University have come up with a nanoparticle coating that could make self-cleaning clothes a reality.
Continue reading… “Self-Cleaning Clothes”
