Others see potential applications, from bridge suspension cables to fine apparel. Spider silk is one of the toughest substances known, and the Army wants to weave it into bulletproof vests and parachute cords. Army, working in collaboration with a biotechnology company, spun the first few inches of a new, genetically engineered spider silk using a gene from the golden-silk spider, Nephila clavipes, that had been inserted into bacteria. Just this month, Australian scientists reported they had determined the molecular structure of a nerve toxin in Australian funnel web spiders and showed it is a powerful insecticide with commercial potential with no effects on mammals.Īnd last month the U.S. The field is moving as fast as a backyard orb-weaver scampering to the center of its prey-laden web. Moreover, Lacey said, "Spiders have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, and it's looking like their venom may be able to prevent permanent brain damage in stroke victims." Spider venom also shows promise as a rich source of new insecticides, he said. Lacey, a Wilmington, Del.-based entomologist specializing in spider biology. "Spider webs are being studied by mechanical engineers because of their remarkable tension displacement qualities, and spider silk could replace some synthetic fibers, such as Nylon, Dacron and even Kevlar for some applications," said Mark S. Materials scientists, medicinal chemists and agricultural biotechnologists are increasingly looking to spiders as a potential source of superfibers, medicines and insecticides. So perhaps it's not surprising that the arachnophobic Little Miss Muffet is remembered with sympathy while her father, the 16th century entomologist and physician Thomas Muffet, who adored the eight-legged creatures, is long forgotten.īut Thomas Muffet's arachnophilia may be vindicated yet. Few creatures are as widely reviled as spiders.
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