In recent years, scientists have been exploring gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR to modify spiders or spider silk-producing organisms.
Most gene-editing work has focused on transferring spider silk genes into bacteria, goats, or silkworms because spiders are difficult to farm.
However, in April 2024, a Chinese research team from Tianjin University successfully edited the genome of the Nephila pilipes spider to produce fluorescent red silk using CRISPR-Cas9.
The red glow is achieved by inserting genes for fluorescent proteins, similar to those found in jellyfish or coral, into the spider's silk-producing glands.
The resulting silk glows under UV light, offering novel possibilities for biomedical imaging, smart textiles, and security tagging.
This marks a significant milestone in synthetic biology, demonstrating that spiders themselves can be directly edited to produce functional, enhanced silk — rather than using other organisms to do so.
Most gene-editing work has focused on transferring spider silk genes into bacteria, goats, or silkworms because spiders are difficult to farm.
However, in April 2024, a Chinese research team from Tianjin University successfully edited the genome of the Nephila pilipes spider to produce fluorescent red silk using CRISPR-Cas9.
The red glow is achieved by inserting genes for fluorescent proteins, similar to those found in jellyfish or coral, into the spider's silk-producing glands.
The resulting silk glows under UV light, offering novel possibilities for biomedical imaging, smart textiles, and security tagging.
This marks a significant milestone in synthetic biology, demonstrating that spiders themselves can be directly edited to produce functional, enhanced silk — rather than using other organisms to do so.
In recent years, scientists have been exploring gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR to modify spiders or spider silk-producing organisms.
Most gene-editing work has focused on transferring spider silk genes into bacteria, goats, or silkworms because spiders are difficult to farm.
However, in April 2024, a Chinese research team from Tianjin University successfully edited the genome of the Nephila pilipes spider to produce fluorescent red silk using CRISPR-Cas9.
The red glow is achieved by inserting genes for fluorescent proteins, similar to those found in jellyfish or coral, into the spider's silk-producing glands.
The resulting silk glows under UV light, offering novel possibilities for biomedical imaging, smart textiles, and security tagging.
This marks a significant milestone in synthetic biology, demonstrating that spiders themselves can be directly edited to produce functional, enhanced silk — rather than using other organisms to do so.
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