New take on under armor?
New take on under armor?
Imagine what the soldier who once sported this armor would think if he were handed silk combat gear instead. He’d probably dance a jig—and he actually could.
A company based in Michigan has genetically engineered silkworms to produce spider’s silk, a light, flexible material that’s stronger by weight than high-grade steel. Long discussed as a possible protective material, spider silk could prove to be a far more comfortable alternative to the traditional, solid Kevlar vest worn by soldiers and police officers. Industrial silk has also been spun from genetically modified goats. —Diane Richard, writer, July 8
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Credit: Kraig Biocraft Laboratories; a closeup of gloves made out of spider silk
Source: Elizabeth Howell, “Future Soldiers May Wear Bulletproof Spider Silk,” Live Science,June 25