Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[jazz710]

I do prefer a machine replicating the spinning process (much more control and reliability) but doubt that it's currently economical for mass production (good for research quantities though? Researchers willing to pay higher prices for small quantities).

That's the rub though. If you're making plastics, yes, a machine is best for that. Simple repeated elements. Silk, and it's properties, are not based in a commonly repeating code that's totally understood by scientists yet. Not even KBLB would claim they understand every intricacy of silk protein distribution. We know within each spider silk protein (which KBLB put into the silk worms) which areas confer strength or elasticity, but when a material is this complex you really can't beat nature for the machinery. KBLB simply supplies the silkworms with new building blocks that have properties others may enjoy.

I'm not saying machine spinning silk is not feasible, but that it seems like a 'if it ain't broke' situation to me. Until we understand exactly what each component and deposition of protein into silk is, best to leave it to the invertebrate professionals or risk a sub-prime product.

EDIT: New analogy. It comes down to the signal-to-noise. Humans are lumpers and we tend to try and break things down into simple elements. We consider variation around those elements to be noise. In nature, however, it's more readily the case that the NOISE is actually just as integral to the functioning unit. Nature isn't perfect, and it's the imperfections that give biological products some of their remarkable traits. Sometimes it's best to boil it down to basics, but sometimes you can lose the very thing you're looking to capture.

All the best.