Latest Silk Stories
Rayshell Clapper for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online After learning about human genetic engineering, many readers might want to find out about some examples of genetic engineering. Both bizarre and beneficial, the following article highlights some truly fascinating and pragmatic examples of modern genetic engineering. The Biotechnology Forums, a website for professionals and students in biotechnology (the area that studies genetic engineering) recently explained some of these...
OXFORD, England, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxitec today announced the development of strains of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, which allow production of exclusively male populations and could greatly enhance the efficiency of silk farming. Writing in the international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/04/03/1221700110 abstract), Oxitec scientists report that the new strains will allow easy separation of...
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Bio-inspired, man-made materials may one day offer up designs that are more lightweight, tougher, and stronger than other options out there. A team writing in the journal Science say they have identified characteristics of biological materials they think engineers will be able to emulate in future materials. Two engineers at the University of California, San Diego examined three characteristics of biological materials, including...
Researcher and team are the first to measure all of the elastic properties of an intact spider's web, drawing a remarkable picture of the behavior of one of nature’s most intriguing structures. The work could lead to new “bio-inspired” materials that improve upon nature. As fibers go, there’s never been anything quite like spider silk. Stretch it. Bend it. Soak it. Dry it out. Spider silk holds up. It is five times stronger than steel and can expand nearly a third greater than its...
GLASGOW, January 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An awful lot of people use the sense of renewal associated with January to evaluate their own lives. This is why January is traditionally a month when lots of marriage proposals are made. The team at artificial bridal bouquet supplier Silk Blooms [http://www.silkblooms.co.uk ] is fully behind the January boom in proposals because it demonstrates how many people use the New Year to plan for the future. People make all sorts of...
Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Scientists are unraveling the mysteries of what makes the fiber that spiders spin five times as strong as piano wire. A team from Arizona State University found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk from several spiders' webs using non-invasive laser light scattering techniques. "Spider silk has a unique combination of mechanical strength and elasticity that make it one of the toughest materials we...
LEICESTER, England, January 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- British brand Next have launched a collection of men's quality clothing and accessories designed and crafted in collaboration with the world's best fabric mills and manufacturers. Exploring the latest key trends, your fashion favourites from the range can be delivered to you the very next day if ordered before 9pm.* Coming in black, navy and grey, shop premium men's suits...
DALLAS, Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dean Foods (NYSE: DF) today announced the release of its 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report. The report details the company's efforts to incorporate sustainable and responsible business practices that benefit the company as well as consumers, retailers, employees, communities and the environment. The company previously published reports in 2008 and 2010 and this year has moved to a web-based format to provide a greater level of detail and...
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Breast cancer patients and survivors can lay their fears to rest regarding soy consumption. A new report from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) affirms that soy is safe for breast cancer patients and survivors. Soy consumption does not lead to increased estrogen levels in humans and may have potential benefits among women receiving certain breast cancer treatments or with certain tumor characteristics. Soy is now listed in...
Selangor, Malaysia, Dec 5, 2012 - (ACN Newswire) - Microsporidiosis is a disease caused by highly infective parasitic microsporidian. The spores of microsporidian, known as pebrine, infect almost all ages, stages, breeds and hybrids of silkworms. A recent publication by Singh and colleagues in the Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science explores a range of methods to combat this disease - a key task that determines the future of the sericulture industry.The disease is primarily...
Latest Silk Reference Libraries
The Golden Silk Spider (Nephila clavipes) is a species of orbweaver spider. It is found in the warmer regions of the Americas. In the United States, this species ranges throughout the coastal southeast and inland, from North Carolina to Texas. In many areas its distribution is somewhat localized and may be absent in many areas over wide areas. In some arboreal or swampy areas, adults and their webs can be found in large concentrations, especially near the coast. This species is also...
The JorÅ Spider (Nephila clavata) is a species of arachnid that is a member of the golden orb-web spider group. It is found in Japan (except HokkaidÅ), Korea, Taiwan and China. The web of the female can reach up to 39 inches in width. The yellow threads appear rich gold in sunlight. The web has three layers: the central orb, plus two irregular layers in front of and behind the orb. The adult female is about 1 inch. The male is much smaller and is no bigger than 0.4 inches. The...
The Argema mittrei, more commonly known as the Comet or Moon Moth, is an endangered species. It is a native of Madagascar and that is the only place where one can observe them in the wild. This large silk moth can be bred in captivity and is one of the world's largest moths. Males have an average wing span of nearly 8 inches and a tail span of almost 6 inches. The lifespan of an adult moth is only 4-5 days and they are capable of reproduction from day 1. Their cocoons are uniquely...
PHOTO CAPTION: Elachista rufocinerea (Photo taken by Keith Edkins) The Elachistidae are a family of Lepidoptera (moths). Their larvae have a wide variety of habits including leaf tiers, seed borers, and leaf or stem miners. The Emperor Gum Moth (Opodiphthera eucalypti) is a species native to Australia, and can be easily found in all the states except for Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Eggs The eggs are laid on a leaf either singly or several in a row usually on...
The silkworm (Bombyx mori or "raw silk of mulberry") is the larva of a moth that is economically important as the producer of silk. Its diet consists solely of mulberry leaves and it is native to northern China. The silkworm is so called because it spins its cocoon from raw silk. The cocoon is made of a single continuous thread of raw silk from 1000 to 3000 feet (300 to 900 meters) long. Silkworms have a good appetite. They eat mulberry leaves day and night continuously. Thus, they grow...
