September 8, 2010 Scientists working in collaboration with Kraig Biocraft Laboratories have successfully created transgenic silkworms. The silkworms were successfully genetically engineered with targeted spider silk DNA sequences. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is a biotechnology company focused on the development of commercially significant high performance polymers including spider silk. "The creation of these transgenics was greeted with much celebration among the scientists,” says CEO Kim K. Thompson. “In my view our accomplishment establishes that we have been on the right track all along. This achievement…clears a major hurdle in our path and puts us well ahead of our development schedule." In addition to the news released today, the company plans to hold a press conference to discuss other significant laboratory developments. That conference is expected to take place later this month. Earlier this year the company entered into a new collaborative research and development agreement with the Univ. of Notre Dame relating to the development of new polymers. Source: Kraig Biocraft, Inc.
Michelle LongoAsst. Managing Editor
Striving Toward Secondary GoalsLate last month, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich stunned most everyone when he declared his promise that "by the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon." While I don’t fault Gingrich for dreaming and trying to set high standards and goals, I can’t help but think of the enormous amount of known and unknown variables that significantly deter this accomplishment...continue
