As one of the strongest materials known to science, spider silk regularly finds itself at the center of exciting engineering breakthroughs, and a new study involving a quick chemical bath could take ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Silk is a fabulous fabric, but it’s also a material that can do so ...

Spiders hold the market for the strongest silks but are too aggressive and territorial to be farmed. The next best alternative involves incorporating spider DNA into silkworms, an expensive and ...

Silkworm thread has been turned into superstrong material that surpasses the strength of natural spider silks, according to research. Scientists have made it 70 percent stronger than a spider's silk ...

Spider silk—six times tougher than Kevlar and stronger than steel—has now been produced by an unexpected source. Spider silk is a biological protein fiber spun by spiders. Many of these fibers have ...

The research group now is poised to explore applications because it has succeeded in making a hybrid silk, lacking a high degree of stiffness, but with "reasonable molecular weight and variability," ...

Researchers have successfully beefed up the delicate thread of the silkworm by feeding them graphene, or single-walled carbon nanotubes. You know what that means. Get ready for some silky-smooth ...

Silkworms have had their genetic code hacked, allowing them to create a new kind of silk not found in nature. The hacking goes beyond the usual forms of genetic modification, by fundamentally altering ...

This article has been updated to include a statement from the Army. It first published July 16, 2016, at 11:02 a.m. The Army will research ways to improve and lighten your ballistic protection — with ...

Microbeads, the tiny plastic beads used in some facial scrubs and toothpaste that rinse down drains and pollute oceans and lakes, are now banned in “rinse-off” products in the U.S. But it’s not like ...