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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Science Spider Goats and Other Genetically-Engineered Nightmares

Posted by on Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 11:15 AM

SPIDER GOAT! Not what it really looks like.
  • SPIDER GOAT! Not what it really looks like.

Huffington Post has this slide show of genetically engineered creations, and I just have two words for you: SPIDER GOATS!

I knew about the glow-in-the-dark cats, and some of the other things aren't that weird or surprising and are mostly very cool, but SPIDER GOATS?!

Strong, flexible spider silk is one of the most valuable materials in nature, and it could be used to make an array of products — from artificial ligaments to parachute cords — if we could just produce it on a commercial scale. In 2000, Nexia Biotechnologies announced it had the answer: a goat that produced spiders’ web protein in its milk.

Researchers inserted a spiders’ dragline silk gene into the goats’ DNA in such a way that the goats would make the silk protein only in their milk. This “silk milk” could then be used to manufacture a web-like material called Biosteel.

SPIDER GOATS! AGGGHHHHHH!

 

Comments (11) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
yelahneb 1
Couldn't this sort of thing wait until after we've cured AIDS and cancer and such? Seriously.
Posted by yelahneb http://www.strangebutharmless.com on November 30, 2010 at 11:22 AM
TheMisanthrope 2
Spider-goat, spider goat,
does whatever a spider goat does.
Can he swing from a web?
No, he can't; he's a goat.
LOOK OUUUUUUT!
He is a spider-goat.
Posted by TheMisanthrope on November 30, 2010 at 11:26 AM
leek 3
Yaaaaay spider goats!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-…
Posted by leek on November 30, 2010 at 11:28 AM
biffster 4
@1

Maybe this show will help you see the bigger picture...

Posted by biffster on November 30, 2010 at 12:10 PM
5
This is truly the stuff of nightmares..
Posted by ian e on November 30, 2010 at 12:27 PM
venomlash 6
@2: It's comforting to know I wasn't the only one thinking this.
Posted by venomlash on November 30, 2010 at 12:28 PM
7
@2 and 6: I only opened these comments to see if someone already said that. Well played.
Posted by SouthEndMike on November 30, 2010 at 1:50 PM
BearNecessity 8
@7, me too.
Posted by BearNecessity on November 30, 2010 at 5:38 PM
9
Spider-Goat, Spidergoat,
If you're bad, he'll eat your coat...
Posted by VancouverMoose on November 30, 2010 at 7:10 PM
10
This news is almost a decade-old at this point. Get with it.
Posted by old news on November 30, 2010 at 7:54 PM
11
Cheaper salmon FTW
Posted by drewm1980 on December 1, 2010 at 10:11 AM

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