New Tech Spins Silk Like a Spider

Method may "make it possible to build bricks from straw'

(NEWSER) - Spider silk is yielding secrets that could pave the way for incredibly strong building materials, researchers say. MIT scientists found that the silk uses a unique crystal structure that makes it both strong and able to bend without breaking. They believe it is possible to copy that structure to turn ordinary materials like wood or straw into flexible and strong "super-materials," the Telegraph reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Scientists have combined spider silk with metal atoms to boost web strands' already-phenomenal strength, reports Ars Technica. The breakthrough experiment advances the science of creating ever-stronger materials, as well discovering a successful method to bond metal to biological material. Experiments are already under way to make chicken eggs stronger. More»

Dow's 'Enlist' resists powerful herbicide

(NEWSER) - Debate is raging over a new biotech corn engineered by Dow Chemical. The corn, called "Enlist," is intended to solve farmers' struggle against tough weeds; that's because it's resistant to a powerful herbicide, also made by Dow. But environmentalists fear that wind, heat, and humidity would carry the herbicide toward distant areas where it could damage other crops, as well as trees and gardens, reports Reuters . Dow says its new version of the herbicide, called 2,4-D, cuts such "drift" by 90%. More»

Up to 5,000 silk threads needed for each string

(NEWSER) - A Japanese researcher who specializes in spider silk has used 300 plucky golden orb web spiders to weave silk threads he could turn into violin strings, reports the BBC . Shigeyoshi Osaki used up to 5,000 silk threads to produce each string, twisting them together tightly in a "unique packing structure" to produce strings with "a soft and profound timbre." More»

Next hurdle: bringing it to market

(NEWSER) - Algae-based fuel is a step closer to reality. Scientists in California have genetically modified a microbe so that it can convert seaweed into biofuel, the Guardian reports. "Natural seaweed species grow very fast—10 times faster than normal plants—and are full of sugars, but it has been very difficult to make ethanol by conventional fermentation," says a researcher. The microbe breakthrough is a "critical step" toward an alternative form of ethanol, but there's still a long way to go. More»