Everyone knows Spider-Man. He has been a comic book hero for 55 years, and has several movies based on his exploits. One of the more intriguing aspects to his persona are his web-shooters. All of his abilities were bestowed upon him by happenstance (being bitten by a radioactive spider), but he designed and manufactured his web-shooters all on his own. We discuss this amazing innovation, as well as the key ingredient: Web fluid! We reveal how several real companies trying to harness power of spider silk, and have succeeded in producing it in bacteria, goats, and silkworms.
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IRL
Spider Silk Companies
Oxford Biomaterials (formerly Spinox Ltd.)
AMSilk – German company. Mail spider silk related roduct is BioSteel. Powerful fiber, and completely biodegradable.
–Teamed with Adidas to make a prototype shoe out of Biosteel called Futurecraft Biofabric
Spiber, Inc. – Japanese company creating functional proteins using Spider silk as the stepping stone.
–North Face’s Moon Parka
Spiber Technologies – Swedish (Stockholm) company – Create technology based on spider silk
–Created Spiber silk (spider silk like substance) and can create it in foam, mesh, film, fiber.
Araknitek – Utah State University
-Genetically modify goats to produce spider silk in their milk
New Information
-Since recording, I became aware of a California startup called Bolt Threads that mass produces clothing with spider silk
