The following is an edited excerpt.
‘Genetically modified’ (GM) has been associated for a long time with food. Now scientists have engineered silkworms to produce fluorescent fabrics.
Genetically modified organisms have not been previously associated with clothing. That could be about to change. Researchers have genetically engineered silkworms to produce colored fluorescent silks, which are starting to be used in textiles, according to Wired Science.
Scientists have successfully inserted glowing proteins, taken from corals and jellyfish, into the silkworm genome. The area in the silkworm targeted is the gene responsible for the production of the silk protein fibroin. The resulting silks glow under fluorescent light, and are almost as strong as the silks that are normally used for fabrics.
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Read the full story here: GMO comes to the fashion world
