Researchers are developing fibers in the lab that can be used as scaffolds for regenerating ligaments damaged in one of the world’s most common knee injuries. They are spinning it from elements drawn from nature – spider web! Yes, they are spinning artificial tendons out of spider silks.
The spider web silk is considered as the strongest natural fiber known. Interestingly, the scientists are also developing spider silk for making exceptionally fine sutures used for stitching up surgeries or wounds to nerves or eyes, which will potentially help heal without leaving a scar.
To mass-produce these new scaffolds and sutures, in separate researches, the spider silk is being produced in alfalfa and the silk proteins in goat milk! It is by inserting the genes for them into target cells, the scientists generate these proteins outside spiders.
