FASHION

engineered silk bolt threds

Yeast-Engineered Silk Could Produce “Stronger than Steel” Clothes

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A San Francisco startup is giving spiders and silkworms a run for their money. Bolt Threads has developed a synthetic, “programmable” alternative to larval- or arachnid-produced silk. Engineered using proteins derived from yeast, the fibers can be manipulated to deliver any combination of softness, strength, and durability. They’re even machine-washable.