Interesting Article...

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Spider silk's 'DNA breakthrough'
By Neil Bowdler
BBC News



US scientists have identified the genes behind silk spun by the black widow spider, which they say could help make super-strong body armour.

The University of California biologists also hope to produce other materials based on the silk's structure.

Black widow spiders' silk apparently has a tensile strength about half of that of steel but is much less dense and much more stretchable.

The black widow spider is among the most venomous spiders in North America.

Hanging around

Researchers at the University of California identified the genetic recipe behind the black widow spider's silk, mapping its DNA.

With that genetic code, they plan to synthesise the so-called "dragline" silk - which is apparently one of the strongest in the spider kingdom.

The university's Dr Nadia Ayoub says the commercial applications could be widespread - from stitching for surgery to ultra-strong cabling.

"There's a lot of interest in using silk for something like micro-sutures because it's incredibly strong for how small it is.

"Actually, all the things that the Spiderman does with silk, if you could make an artificial fibre that was that big you could do all of those things. You could hang from walls," Dr Ayoub says.

Other commercial applications cited by the researchers included high-tech athletic clothing.

They are now trying to synthesise the protein that makes up the silk in large enough quantities to make commercial production a possibility.

The biologists are using tomato plants into which they are injecting genetic material in the hope that the tomato seed will yield this spider-silk constituent.

The university is also trying to get a patent on their discovery.

[amateurphilosophynerd]

I hope it all forges ahead, sounds good! I didn't know there were different strengths of spiders web so this is a revelation.

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APN,

The science sounds fascinating and yeah, I hope it forges ahead. Few things occured to me, like I thought I was reading about an information science, and then they say:

They are now trying to synthesise the protein that makes up the silk in large enough quantities to make commercial production a possibility.

...and that makes it sound more like a biological materials science - like they're chopping up frogs to make soup, rather than applying knowledge of the structure and composition of the spider's silk.

This reflects obliquely on a discussion I've been having - first with Nikolai and then a_uk on what life is, or is not.

Another thing i noticed about the article was this:

The university is also trying to get a patent on their discovery.

...and thought that if all were right and just, mother nature holds the patent and deserves the royalties. I think it unlikely that she'll get paid, because also in the article it says:

US scientists have identified the genes behind silk spun by the black widow spider, which they say could help make super-strong body armour.

It's good to know we've got our priorities straight!

I would have thought the project would be looking to reacreate the informational structure in carbon nanotubes for instance, keeping the info but improving upon the materials??? I don't know that that's possible short of a UC - (a replicator for star trek fans) a magical piece of kit that can build on the atomic scale. Maybe frog soup is the best we can do?

mb.

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Madoff investor commits suicide

Mr Villehuchet was found dead in his 22nd floor office on Madison Avenue


A French investment manager who put $1.4bn (£1bn) into Bernard Madoff's fraud-hit scheme has committed suicide in his New York office, police said.

Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, 65, was found sitting at his desk with both wrists slashed, New York police spokesman Paul Browne said.

A bottle of sleeping pills was on his desk and a box cutter lay on the floor.

He was murdered, wasn't he? What did he do? Cut one writst with a box cutter then switch hands and cut the other? What does it matter? $50 billion fraud. The verdict is already in and he got the death penalty for something someone doesn't want known. Either that or he topped himself. What? From shame? In a long and distinguished banking career I can't imagine this is the first time such a man has thrown a billion and a half dollars of someone else's money out the window. It's therefore difficult to imagine this was some kind of final igmony to someone who probably had a full and rich life. Of course I don't know, but as a million amatuer detectives have noted - and a million Madoff investors didn't, 'something doesn't add up.'

mb.

[bus2bondi]

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Bush revokes developer's pardon

Mr Bush has pardoned fewer people than Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan


US President George W Bush has taken the unusual step of reversing a pardon he had announced only a day earlier for a New York property developer.

Isaac Robert Toussie, convicted of making false statements to a government department and mail fraud, was one of 19 people Mr Bush pardoned on Tuesday.

But the next day, the White House said the president was reviewing the move in light of new information on Toussie.

This included details of his crimes and political donations made by his father.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the decision to revoke the pardon was "based on information that has subsequently come to light" on the extent and nature of his offences.

She also said that neither the White House counsel's office nor the president had been aware of a political contribution by Toussie's father that "might create an appearance of impropriety".

Once that became known, rescinding the pardon was the "prudent thing to do", she added.

Ha! If you look up political impropriety there's a picture of George Bush. Man had to be a buffoon to defend such a ludicrous position. Survival of the fitting - and he's what fit. Must be something wrong with the environment.

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Pope laments global instability


The Pope issues his Christmas message from the Vatican

Pope Benedict XVI has called for peace in the Middle East and stability in Africa in his Christmas Day message.

Speaking from the Vatican, the Pope prayed for the opponents of the "twisted logic of conflict and violence" to prevail in the Holy Land.

That's like McDonald's wishing you a healthy new year!

That's like McDonald's wishing the cows a healthy new year!

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Massive Israeli air raids on Gaza!

Air strikes kill more than 200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, medics say, as Israel targets Hamas militants with the heaviest raids on Gaza for decades.

Amen!

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