First-ever Gene-edited Spider Creates red Fluorescent Silk

Scientists at the University of Bayreuth have successfully engineered the world’s first spider modified with CRISPR-Cas9 to produce red fluorescent silk. They achieved this using the common house spider species Parasteatoda tepidariorum.

Spiders’ cannibalistic behavior and complex genomes make them hard to modify and breed in labs, limiting their use in research. To overcome this, scientists developed a CRISPR method to inject a red fluorescent silk gene into unfertilized eggs.

Precision Microinjection and Successful Silk Gene Integration

The microinjection process was complex and delicate. Researchers had to anesthetize the spiders with CO₂ to keep them still during the procedure. Once the spiders recovered, they were bred with males of the same species. The offspring produced red fluorescent silk, confirming successful gene editing without affecting normal silk production.

“Using CRISPR to edit spider silk genes holds great potential for materials research. For example, it could further enhance the silk’s already impressive tensile strength,” Scheibel added.

Unlocking the Potential of Spider Silk for Advanced Materials and Biotechnology

Spider silk is an extraordinary natural material, renowned for its remarkable tear resistance, flexibility, lightness, and biodegradability. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for enhancing the properties of spider silk, with promising applications in materials science and biotechnology.

“The ability to use CRISPR to edit spider silk genes holds great potential for materials research—for instance, it could be used to further boost the silk’s already impressive tensile strength,” Scheibel added.

Beyond creating colored silk, the study also explored a technique called CRISPR-KO, where researchers “knock out” or deactivate specific genes to observe their effects. In this case, they targeted a gene known as so, believed to play a crucial role in spider eye development.

Using the CRISPR-KO method, the team confirmed their hypothesis—disabling the so gene resulted in spiders without eyes. This discovery advanced spider genetics, confirming the gene’s key role in eye development.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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