Scientists have tried to make the best fabric by using spiders genes

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    Fabric Genes
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the genetic engineering process used to create a fabric by incorporating spider genes into goats, focusing on the mechanisms of gene transfer and the implications of such techniques.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the process of inserting a spider gene into a goat's genome and extracting a silk-like substance from the goat's milk.
  • Another participant identifies the broader topics of recombinant DNA, genetic engineering, and transgenesis, seeking clarification on specific aspects of the gene transfer process.
  • A participant expresses interest specifically in the gene transfer between different species.
  • One participant outlines a general method for gene transfer, mentioning the use of restriction enzymes, bacterial cells, and embryonic stem cells, while noting that this may not reflect the exact methods used in the discussed study.
  • The explanation includes the concept of creating chimeras and the subsequent breeding to establish organisms with the desired genetic traits.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion does not reach a consensus on the specific methods used in the study, and participants express varying levels of familiarity with the techniques involved in genetic engineering.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various methods of gene transfer without detailing specific techniques used in the study, leaving some assumptions and steps unresolved.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in genetic engineering, biotechnology, and the applications of transgenic organisms may find this discussion relevant.

Ali Inam
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I read on the net about how scientists have tried to make the best fabric by using spiders genes.

They took a gene from the spider and inserted it into a goat's gene and then the milk which the goat gave, contained some silkiness, from which, after processing, scientists managed to extract the thread-like substance.

Any info regarding this process ? !
 
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That's a very broad topic, "recombinant dna", "genetic engineering" and "transgenesis"
Is there something in particular you are wondering about?
 


Ah, well I was aiming towards the transferring of a gene from one creature to another.
 


I have no idea how they did it (there are numerous ways), but using stem cells is one of the most effective and common methods. The overall idea is to use tools that were created in nature (proteins from different species) in a novel combination.

1) You can use a protein called a "restriction enzyme" to extract a certain gene from one species' DNA.

2) In bacteria you can literally just inject that gene into a cell, and occationally it will be integrated into the bacterial DNA, with other more complex organisms you use additional proteins or even whole viruses --> but in any case you add the gene to a target cell

3) if the target cell which gains the gene of interest is an embryonic stem cell (ESC), you can then inject that ESC into the "blastocyst" (the stage of a zygote just after fertilization of an egg) and it will contribute to the new organism which is a "chimera"--it has DNA from its parents (the unaltered blastocyst) in addition to the ESC you added.

4) Finally you cross-breed numerous of these chimera's to produce an organism with only the injected DNA.

So that's the bare bones basic concepts in this type of procedure, again its not necessarily how this particular study performed it; but it conveys some of the basic ideas.
 

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