Hagfish Slime: Clothing of the Future
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21954779
Dinosaurs became extinct about 60 million years ago but a hagfish fossil - complete with evidence of slime-producing glands - has been found dating back 330 million years. A hagfish has about 100 of these glands, or invaginations, that run along the side of its body from which they exude a milky, white substance, comprised of mucus and thread. When this gets mixed with seawater, it expands, creating huge amounts of clear slime, composed of very thin - but super-strong and stretchy - fibres. When you stretch the fibres in water and then dry them out, they become silky. The largest species of hagfish can reach about 4ft (1.2m), though most are around 1ft (30cm) long. But despite their small size, a single hagfish has hundreds of kilometres of slime thread inside it. Scientists believe hagfish slime or similar proteins could be turned into tights or breathable athletic wear, or even bullet-proof vests.For years, scientists have been looking for alternatives to synthetic fibres like nylon and lycra, or spandex, which are made from oil - a non-renewable resource.
Hagfish slime has the potential to provide a natural and renewable alternative.
It's a model that scientists have tried with spider silk before, but because the proteins in spider silk are so large, it takes some pretty wacky-sounding techniques to replicate them (like getting it from the milk of transgenic goats).Hagfish slime has many similar qualities to spider silk, but has one big advantage, says Fudge - the proteins that make it up are far smaller, and so easier - in theory - to replicate.