Photo: Christoph Schutz | Pixabay
The quest for sustainable fabrics has been a long one globally, but one group at Oxford University has learned from nature's master spinner. The spider, who has been at it for millions of years, creates its silk -- the world's strongest and most adaptable material -- within its spinneret, a specialized organ that turns the liquid silk gel within its abdomen into a solid thread. The company, Spintex, has come up with a process that mimics the spider's activity to spin textile fibers from a liquid gel at room temperature. Water and biodegradable textile fibers are the only outputs, making it not only 1,000 times more efficient than current methods for making man-made fabrics, but also saves tons of carbon emissions. The researchers have been awarded the Ray of Hope prize, which honors the world's nature-inspired start-ups. "By learning from nature, Spintex is creating new products, materials and processes that solve fundamental sustainability challenges," according to the media release.
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