Hatrack River Forum: Goats with Spider DNA

This is topic Goats with Spider DNA in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=029190

Posted by Traveler (Member # 3615) on :

Truth is sometimes stranger then fiction. A company is working on developing a better, stronger, lighter body armor material. A material that has all the characteristics that they are looking for is spider silk. However, how do you get enough spider silk to generate a material out of it? They decided to introduce spider DNA to goats. The result is the milk of the goats contains the protiens that create spider silk. They can milk the goats and then harvest the protiens from it to spin the new spider silk. They call the new material "BioSteel". VERY strange. Here is a link to the company web site. Nexia Biotechnologies Inc.

Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :

To introduce one species' DNA into anothers, don't they have to have the same diploid number of chromosomes to be compatible?

Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :

Wow! Just think what this could do for the classic "Billy Goats Gruff." It could be modernized!

In this version, the troll gets lured out by the sight of an apparently helpless goat the others leave as an offering. When he steps out, the goats entangle him in a milky web and suck his bodily fluids dry, leaving the dessicated corpse behind them.

*not considering a career as a writer of children's literature*

[ November 15, 2004, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

I remember reading about this a few years ago. Interesting that they're getting close to market.

Could you imagine drinking that milk? [Angst]

Dagonee

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

[Big Grin]

It has to be processed to make the silk from the proteins. Otherwise, poor nanny goat! [Eek!]

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

I want some for Christmas!

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Uh.. they way I read it..if you read the site they say that they no longer are intersted in mass producing/spinning for body armour and such, they are now only producing nanotubes and other forms of the biosteel in nano-applications and research.

Still, cool idea.

Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :

I've been hearing about this for so many years I'm starting to wonder if anything's going to come of it. From this company, anyway.

Definately a cool idea and only the tip of the transgenetic iceberg. A science that doesn't seem to bother people so long as it's not in their food or in people.

Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :

kaio, they don't need to have the same number of chromosomes. Most likely a portion of DNA was injected into a cell which then recombined into the existing chromosomes. That's the simplified version, of course.

Bacterial plasmids? Virus vectors? I didn't read the article [Wink]

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

SWEET. So, do the goats have like 8 legs and fangs?

Next thing you know, you're going to see a goat dressed up in a red suit swinging around New York City by her udder.

Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :

*nods* Gracias, Dabbler

Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :

Heh. In sixth grade, my nick name was "Spider Goat". It then transformed into "Skabibibismipmunkog billapoat", but "spider goat" was the starter. I should show this article to the friend that started it.

And, Dag, I have a hard time imagining myself drinking any goat milk. Ewwww!