by Anthony Gucciardi
February 1, 2012

from NaturalSociety Website
 

 

 

 

 

 

Scientists are now discussing the possibility of adding silk-producing spider genes into the human genome to produce ‘bulletproof’ skin.

 

The news comes after testing was done on bioengineered human skin that was grown in a laboratory and mixed with ‘milk’ created from a genetically engineered ‘spider goat‘.

 

This is a goat that has been genetically tweaked to produce the same protein found in spider silk. Spider goats are transgenic creations that have two key spider genes embedded into their genetic code that enable them to weave extremely strong silk.

Spider silk is much stronger than Kevlar (the material used in traditional bulletproof vests), and scientists are now saying that it could actually be used to create an internal bulletproof skin vest.

 

The silk is actually 5 times stronger than steel, and is one of the strongest fibers known to man.

 

While the fibers involved with the creation of the bulletproof skin are not as strong, they are still extremely powerful. It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but Dutch scientist Jalila Essaidi says it will soon be a reality.

 

While she performed tests involving the silk-embedded bulletproof skin vest created in the lab, she discussed the very real possibility of actually replacing human skin proteins with that of a spider.

 

She said:

“Why bother with a vest: imagine replacing keratin, the protein responsible for the toughness of the human skin, with this spidersilk protein. This is possible by adding the silk producing genes of a spider to the gnome of a human: creating a bulletproof human.”

The lab-grown skin fused with the ‘silk’ is currently capable of withstanding a direct impact from a bullet fired below full speed. Researchers say that the ‘transhumanistic’ idea of the silk vest could make science fiction a reality.

 

View the video of the testing:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 Human Modification

-   Spider Goat Silk to Make ‘Bulletproof Human Skin’   -
by Anthony Gucciardi
August 23, 2011
from NaturalSociety Website
 

 

 

Following the leaked news that scientists have created 15,000+ experimental animal hybrids, it has now come out that researchers are in the process of developing bulletproof human skin by using the silk of a creature with both spider and goat genes known as a spider goat.

 

Spider goats are transgenic creations that have two key spider genes embedded into their genetic code that enable them to weave extremely strong silk.

 

Utah State researchers are now in the process of utilizing the spider goat silk in a “bio-art” project that aims to create artificial tendons and ligaments that are completely bulletproof.

Spider silk, 5 times stronger than steel, is one of the strongest fibers known to man.

 

While the fibers involved with the creation of the bulletproof skin are not as strong, they are still extremely powerful.

 

Researcher Randy Lewis, the creator of spider goats, teamed up with Dutch artist Jalila Essaidi to conduct an experiment weaving a lattice of human skin cells and silk that was capable of stopping bullets fired at reduced speeds.

“Randy and I were moved by the same drive I think, curiosity about the outcome of the project,” Essaidi said in an email interview. “Both the artist and scientist are inherently curious beings.”

The results were shocking, with the silk-laced artificial skin withstanding the impact of a bullet.

“We were more than a little surprised that the final skin kept the bullet from going in there,” Lewis said of the tests at reduced speed.

 

“It still ended up 2 inches into the torso, so it would not have saved your life. But without a doubt the most exciting part for us is the fact that they were able to recreate the skin on top of our fibers. It’s something we haven’t done. Nobody has worked in that area.”

 

 

 

The troubling nature of this research
 

While there are plenty of positive aspects to this research, there are also a number of troubling factors.

 

We have seen the result of genetically modified foods, with studies detailing how they devastate your health. As the genetic modification of the planet continues, the very genetic coding of the world is threatened.

 

From crops to living creatures, genetic modification has run rampant. This report shows that humans may be next on the list, with the military eyeing up the bulletproof human skin made from spider goat silk to use for combat.

While there are many benefits to scientific breakthroughs of this nature, we need to establish rules in order to protect the genetic integrity of the planet - including ourselves.
 

 

 


Sources

 

 

 

 

 

 


-   Genetic Engineering   -

‘Spider Goats’

...Create One of the Strongest Known Substances
by Geoffrey Fattah
July 5, 2011

from DeseretNews Website
 


A web of possibilities:

Utah researcher uses goats to make

one of the strongest known substances
 



 

Utah State University (USU) professor Randy Lewis’s goats look and behave like most other goats:

They nibble on alfalfa and, if you’re not careful, they might nibble on your clothes.

But these goats could hold the key to revolutionizing everything from tendon replacements and stronger parachutes to safer airbags.

How can these goats achieve such amazing things? Lets just say, they have a little bit in common with comic book legend Peter Parker.

Lewis’s goats are transgenic, meaning they have two key genes that allow a spider to weave their silk inserted into their genetic code. The result is goats that produce milk that contain spider silk proteins.

Nicknamed “spider man” by his fellow USU scientists, Lewis’ first-of-its-kind research has gained him international attention.

 

His work has been featured in top science journals as well as National Geographic and Time magazines. He was also featured on PBS’s NOVA and the Discovery Channel. He has been featured on European television and more recently in Canada.

Lewis recently brought his research from the University of Wyoming after USU lured him with better facilities and funding. The university was able to recruit Lewis through the USTAR program: the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative.

 

USTAR is a long-term, state-funded program that invests in science research with innovation and commercial potential. Researchers and biochemical companies have long thought spider silk to be an ideal material for countless applications. It’s stronger than steel and as stretchy as nylon.

 

But milking and caring for them is much easier than working with spiders.

“They’re territorial and cannibalistic,” Lewis said. “Scientists have known since the late 1800s that farming spiders isn’t possible - spiders tend to eat other spiders.”

It took about 80 people four years to harvest enough spider silk to weave a half-million-dollar golden tapestry.

 

The 11-by-4-foot tapestry was displayed at the New York Museum of Natural History in 2009. Made by artists in Madagascar, the threads were harvested from over a million spiders, according to the museum. The tapestry is only one of two spider silk textiles known in the world.

While amazing, harvesting silk from spiders by hand is simply not commercially viable. Lewis has experimented with inserting spider silk genes in E.coli bacteria, alfalfa and silk worms. Lewis said bacteria can produce silk a lot faster but because of their tiny size, they don’t produce as much. Silk worms produce silk that is only partially spider silk and is not as strong.

 

So he settled on goats.

“It takes goats six months to mature. In six months they have babies and you’re getting milk,” he said. “Also, they’re pretty docile, they certainly become acclimated to humans very rapidly.”

Initially Lewis teamed up with a Canadian company that produced the first goats.

“We provided the genes and they provided the tech to put it in the goat.”

Unfortunately, the company went under and Lewis’s team was stuck with a problem.

“We made two very long trips to Canada to bring them back down. First to Wyoming and then here to Logan.”

Currently the herd of special goats is at about 36.

USU officials say they are excited to have such a renowned scientist bring his work to a Utah university.

“We are pleased Randy has joined the USTAR facility,” said Robert Behunin, vice president for Commercialization and Regional Development. He said that the core of USU faculty specializing in science and engineering and the new USTAR BioInnovations Center will provide Lewis with great support.

 

“The commercial applications of Randy’s research are far-reaching and have enormous potential,” Behunin said.

Lewis has managed to gain $3.2 million in research grants and was recently awarded another $40,000 from the state in a Technology Commercialization and Innovation Program grant.

 

His technology has also gained the interest of,

  • the National Institutes of Health

  • the U.S. Air Force

  • Department of Energy

  • National Science Foundation

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture


 


Silk from milk
 

Lewis’s goats are milked about twice a day; however, there are a lot of other components from the milk that need to be removed in order to isolate the two key proteins that make spider silk.

 

The goats are separated into two groups, each group contains one of the two proteins to make the silk, so the proteins must be extracted and then combined.

The milk is frozen and the cream is separated, which removes most of the fat but not all of it. The thawed milk is then pushed into a micro filter that blocks the larger fat molecules and lets the smaller proteins through.

 

A smaller, more refined, filter then further isolates the silk proteins.

“When we dry it, it looks like a white powder,” Lewis said.

Still, the challenge remains: how do they take a powder and spin it into a fiber, like a spider does?
 

 

 


Spinning silk into gold

“We’ve been able to somewhat duplicate that,” Lewis said, but for now spiders remain the masters.

On average, spiders can spin six different types of fibers with various properties.

 

Lewis’ team has managed to spin a fiber similar to a spider’s suspension line, which is the thicker of the fiber types. The two proteins are combined into a solution and pushed into a needle, but a spider pulls the silk out of its spinners, where a syringe would push it out.

 

So lab workers tease the silk out of the needle and then pull it out like a spider.

“They pull it out like floss, not push it out like toothpaste,” Lewis said.

What they get is a fiber that is incredibly strong, amazingly light-weight and very versatile.

 

In current medicine, doctors takes a torn ligament or tendon and carefully sew it together, providing a less-than-durable treatment.

 

Lewis said silk is very compatible with the human body and can be used as temporary tendons and ligaments while providing a scaffolding for the body to begin healing the tear together.

“Right now there’s nothing out there that can do that,” he said.

Silk can also be used to suture damaged eyes, or even nerves.

The military is interested in spider silk to manufacture better parachutes and cables, providing much more strength for the same amount of weight of current materials. Even auto manufacturers are interested in silk to provide safer air bags.

 

Lewis said one feature of spider silk is that it absorbs energy better. Current air bags can knock children and adults back into their seats when deployed, causing possible injury. Lewis said studies show spider silk appears to better absorb energy and would minimize such knock-back.

With the support of USU, Lewis said he expects more commercial interest will emerge in the near future.