The superhero “Spider-Man” shoots webbing from his wrists to swing
between buildings. But do you know the true strength of the spider silk?
It is a highly elastic and heat resistant high performance material
that is stronger than steel. The mass production of such a magical fiber
was made possible by a Japanese venture company for the first time in
the world. This new material, which had been sought by researchers
around the world, is no longer a fantasy and is set to be used in a
multitude of industrial products.
Spider-Man shoots webbing at a movie premier. June 2012, Osaka City. ©Kyodo News
The dress made with synthetic spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.)
In the movie, Spider-Man uses spider webs to stop a train. Real-life
spider silk also has an amazing potential for strength. Calculated to
be approximately five times stronger than steel, if you were to make a
web with spider silk 1 cm in diameter, it would have the strength to
catch a jumbo jet as if it were a dragonfly or butterfly. Spider silk is
also as elastic as nylon, six times lighter than steel of the same
strength, and able to withstand temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius; it
truly is a magical fiber.
Recently, a Japanese venture company has succeed for the first in the world to develop technology for mass producing a synthetic spider silk with the same qualities as natural spider silk. Based on the pronunciation of the Japanese word for spider web, “KUMONOSU,” the synthetic spider silk was named “QMONOS.” A blue dress made of fabric woven with QMONOS, which was revealed as a prototype to the public in May 2013, glow mystically by reflecting the light as if it were a futuristic image seen in a movie.
Research into the mass production of synthetic spider silk has been going on around the world for decades. Some researchers thought to farm large quantities of spiders for their silk; however, due to spider’s highly territorial and cannibalistic nature, this proved impossible. In Japan, research into altering the DNA of silk worms to produce spider silk was attempted, but the worms did not produce large quantities of spider silk.
Equipment for cultivating bacteria for spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.)
Therefore, the biotechnology for rewriting the “blueprints” of
proteins, which are the basis of DNA in all living creatures, was used
this time to develop QMONOS, aiming to make a living organism other than
a spider to produce the same proteins as found in spider silk. Bacteria
were chosen in place of the spider. Through bacterial cultivation,
bacteria can be grown to large quantities in a short amount of time. In
fact, a bacterium with its blueprint altered to become capable of
producing spider silk would continue multiplying to 100 million bacteria
within half a day in test equipment.
The spider silk proteins extracted from these bacteria are first dissolved and then made into thread in the same way as other synthetic fibers. Previously, there was a problem that highly poisonous and dangerous chemicals had to be used to dissolve the spider silk; however, a safe chemical was discovered during the development of QMONOS.
Another major feature of QMONOS is that it can be dyed by mixing in color during the process of powdering and dissolving the proteins. The resultant threads and fibers do not need to be dyed again at a later part of the process.
Colored spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.)
To mass produce the new material QMONOS, a facility capable of
producing 100 kg per month will be constructed in Yamagata prefecture in
near future. The plan is to raise monthly output to 10 ton by 2015.
Once the mass production technology advances and the manufacturing costs fall, the synthetic spider silk will be used for a whole host of purposes besides merely using it t as fiber for clothing. It is also considered possible to make even lighter and stronger aircraft fuselages and automotive parts by mixing the spider silk with carbon fiber and other materials and to manufacture artificial blood vessels and surgical thread by using this light, soft, and durable material. It could also be used for material in space suits by utilizing its strong resistance to UV.
In today’s world where manufacturing products such as plastics that use oil as a raw material is depleting resources and causing global warming, the use of biotechnology to develop new materials is attracting great attention worldwide.
Spider-Man shoots webbing at a movie premier. June 2012, Osaka City. ©Kyodo NewsStronger than steel
The dress made with synthetic spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.)Recently, a Japanese venture company has succeed for the first in the world to develop technology for mass producing a synthetic spider silk with the same qualities as natural spider silk. Based on the pronunciation of the Japanese word for spider web, “KUMONOSU,” the synthetic spider silk was named “QMONOS.” A blue dress made of fabric woven with QMONOS, which was revealed as a prototype to the public in May 2013, glow mystically by reflecting the light as if it were a futuristic image seen in a movie.
Synthetic spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.) |
Synthetic spider silk when viewed under an electron microscope (courtesy of Spiber Inc.) |
Research into the mass production of synthetic spider silk has been going on around the world for decades. Some researchers thought to farm large quantities of spiders for their silk; however, due to spider’s highly territorial and cannibalistic nature, this proved impossible. In Japan, research into altering the DNA of silk worms to produce spider silk was attempted, but the worms did not produce large quantities of spider silk.
Rewriting DNA
Equipment for cultivating bacteria for spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.)The spider silk proteins extracted from these bacteria are first dissolved and then made into thread in the same way as other synthetic fibers. Previously, there was a problem that highly poisonous and dangerous chemicals had to be used to dissolve the spider silk; however, a safe chemical was discovered during the development of QMONOS.
Fine protein powder extracted from the bacteria (courtesy of Spiber Inc.) |
Machines spinning the finished spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.) |
Another major feature of QMONOS is that it can be dyed by mixing in color during the process of powdering and dissolving the proteins. The resultant threads and fibers do not need to be dyed again at a later part of the process.
Other applications such as artificial blood vessels
Colored spider silk (courtesy of Spiber Inc.)Once the mass production technology advances and the manufacturing costs fall, the synthetic spider silk will be used for a whole host of purposes besides merely using it t as fiber for clothing. It is also considered possible to make even lighter and stronger aircraft fuselages and automotive parts by mixing the spider silk with carbon fiber and other materials and to manufacture artificial blood vessels and surgical thread by using this light, soft, and durable material. It could also be used for material in space suits by utilizing its strong resistance to UV.
In today’s world where manufacturing products such as plastics that use oil as a raw material is depleting resources and causing global warming, the use of biotechnology to develop new materials is attracting great attention worldwide.
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