蜘蛛絲產業化在望
牢固得有些邪門的蜘蛛絲來了！
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????日本一家初創公司聲稱，它已經破解了實現蜘蛛絲商業化生產這個棘手的問題。蜘蛛絲是大自然的超物質之一。以克為單位進行強度比較，尼龍，甚至許多金屬都比不上蜘蛛絲。它比凱夫拉爾纖維（Kevlar）更加結實，彈性更是遠超后者。十多年來，科學家們一直試圖在實驗室中批量重造蜘蛛絲，但屢屢以失敗告終。 ????Spiber公司稱，通過使用合成生物技術和一種全新的紡紗技術，他們現在能夠在一天內生產數百克合成蜘蛛絲蛋白質，而過去的日產量最多也就是幾克而已。這種特殊的蛋白質每克可生產大約9千米（29,527英尺）蜘蛛絲。 ????這項突破的發明者、Spiber公司總裁關山和秀表示，不同于以往合成蜘蛛絲的嘗試，日本研究人員這一次并沒有嘗試著復制人們知之甚少的蜘蛛吐絲動作。蜘蛛使用導管狀的噴絲頭，重新安排一種簡單的蛋白質，然后將其變為蜘蛛絲。“我們通過一個完全人工化的方式制造纖維，”他告訴《財富》雜志（Fortune）。 ????在仿生學世界，借助于尖端的分析技術，一些源自大自然的奇思妙想正在被應用于各個產業之中，而蜘蛛絲堪稱這一領域的圣杯。 ????迄今為止，工程師們已經非常擅長合成一系列非常有用的材料。但他們可以做得更好。比如，凱夫拉爾是一種相當牢固的纖維，可用于制造航空器材和防彈背心。把石油產品加熱至華氏 1,400度，然后施以巨大壓力，就可提煉出這種用以制造最終織物的纖維。 ????從一只蜘蛛的角度看來，這個過程似乎有點小題大做。不需要任何一種類似于那種熱度的東西，蜘蛛就能生產出一種強度高出凱夫拉爾纖維許多倍的材料，更何況這種材料還具有生物降解性。顯然，類似于蜘蛛絲的合成物將帶來巨大的利益。仿生學和合成生物學可以幫助科學家創造蜘蛛絲，但不是通過精確復制，而是引入一些大自然的設計。它也顯示出這種合成生物學的潛力——把大自然分解為備用配件，然后將其隨意重建。 |
????A Japanese startup claims it has cracked the knotty problem of commercializing the production of spider thread, which, gram for gram, is stronger than nylon and even many metals. As one of nature's super-substances -- tougher than Kevlar yet significantly more elastic -- scientists have been trying to recreate it in significant quantities in labs but failed for over a decade. ????By using synthetic biology techniques and a new spinning technology, Spiber Inc. says it is now able to produce many hundreds of grams of synthetic spider silk protein where past efforts have produced less than a few grams over a day. One gram of the special protein produces about 9,000 meters (29,527 feet) of silk. ????The breakthrough, says the inventor and Spiber's president, Kazuhide Sekiyama, is that unlike other attempts to synthesize spider thread the Japanese researchers did not try to copy the spider's little-understood spinning action. Using duct-like spinnerets, spiders rearrange a simple protein to turn it into silk. "We make fibers using a totally artificial process," he told Fortune. ????In the world of biomimicry, or biomimetics, where cutting edge analytical techniques are helping put some of nature's better ideas to work in industry, spider silk is something of a holy grail. ????Engineers have been adept up to now at synthesizing a range of extremely useful materials. But they could do better. Kevlar, for example, is a remarkably strong fiber used in aeronautics and bullet-proof vests. Made by heating petroleum products to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, then applying substantial pressure, the fiber is teased out to make the final fabric. ????To a spider, the process would seem a tad hyperactive. Without using anything like that kind of heat, spiders produce a material that's many times stronger than Kevlar, not to mention biodegradable. Clearly, a synthetic equivalent of spider thread would be of enormous benefit. Biomimetics and synthetic biology helps scientists create spider thread not by copying it exactly but by incorporating some of nature's design aspects. It also shows the potential of such synthetic biology -- breaking down nature into spare parts and then rebuilding them back up as desired. |
