I Grew Real Spider Silk Using Yeast
The Thought Emporium・2 minutes read
The project successfully designed yeast to produce spider silk with enhanced properties using a synthetic biology approach, overcoming initial challenges with DNA isolation from spiders. Through a meticulous process involving gene synthesis, modification, and insertion into yeast, successful production and secretion of silk were achieved, paving the way for scaling up production and further experimentation with bio-mineralization peptides and colorful proteins.
Insights
- Designing spider silk DNA from scratch was a pivotal strategy after failed attempts to isolate DNA from spiders, highlighting the project's innovative approach to creating a new version of the silk project.
- The integration of biomineralization peptides into the silk gene, alongside community feedback-driven modifications to the yeast protocol, underscored a meticulous process that optimized silk properties and production efficiency, showcasing a commitment to enhancing silk through advanced genetic engineering techniques.
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Recent questions
How is spider silk produced?
Spider silk is produced using yeast.
What are the properties of spider silk?
Spider silk is known for its strength and elasticity.
How is silk DNA synthesized?
Silk DNA is synthesized by combining subunits and creating varied amino acid sequences.
What is the role of yeast in silk production?
Yeast is used to produce silk proteins.
What are the future plans for silk production?
Future plans involve scaling up production, testing on silk cocoons, and utilizing a bioreactor for continuous silk production.
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