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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Phys.org [phys.org]:

The CSRS team focused on the marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum. This bacterium is ideal for establishing a sustainable bio-factory because it grows in seawater, requires carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the atmosphere, and uses solar energy, all of which are abundant and inexhaustible.

The researchers genetically engineered the bacterium to produce MaSp1 protein, the main component of the Nephila spider dragline which is thought to play an important role in the strength of the spider silk. Optimization of the gene sequence that they inserted into the bacterium's genome was able to maximize the amount of silk that could be produced. They also found that a simple recipe—artificial seawater, bicarbonate salt, nitrogen gas, yeast extract, and irradiation with near-infrared light—allows R. sulfidophilum to grow well and produce the silk protein efficiently. Further observations confirmed that the surface and internal structures of the fibers produced in the bacteria were very similar to those produced naturally by spiders.

Previous attempts to manufacture spider silk involved genetically engineering goats to produce it in their milk [phys.org].

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