- MILWAUKEE (UPI) - Canadian
scientists have implanted spider genes in a herd of goats, resulting in
the production of silky strands in goat milk that can be used for sutures
and other applications.
-
- The technique was perfected by Jeffrey Turner, a geneticist
and president of Nexia Biotechnologies of Quebec.
-
- "We have combined the old and the new," Turner
told UPI in a recent interview. "The old is represented by the goats
and their milk, which is used to make cheese. The new is genetic engineering."
-
- In addition to sutures for eye surgery, the strands -
which are harvested from the goat's milk -- can be used to reconstruct
tendons or ligaments and to repair bones, Turner said, adding that companies
like DuPont and 3M have been trying unsuccessfully to duplicate spider
web silk in their laboratories for years.
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- Turner said he has been contacted by numerous pharmaceutical
firms seeking to acquire the technique but he said he won't sell.
-
- "We may take on a partner for the marketing end,"
he said, "but we will keep the ownership here in Quebec."
-
- One major reason for that decision is the fact that Quebec's
Caisse de depot et placement, which is responsible for investing Quebec
pension funds, has invested several million dollars in the venture. Turner,
a native of Ontario, said he decided to base his venture in Quebec because
of the province's favorable economic climate.
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- Turner estimates the technology has a potential market
of $2 billion. He expects the silk to go on the medical market within a
year under the brand name BioSteelJ.
-
- Additionally, he said, the substance likely has industrial
applications, possibly replacing such things as Kevlar. It also could be
used to cover domed stadiums and in the aerospace and communications industries.
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- Both the U.S. and Canadian military have expressed interest
in using it for making anti-ballistic defense systems, he said.
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