Researchers in Sweden know one of nature's biggest secrets. They found out how spiders make such strong silk for their webs. It is stronger than steel. Scientists have tried to find the answer to this for a long time. They found that the place the spider keeps the material for its silk has a special acid level. This helps to make the silk strong. The researchers copied this. They made enough artificial spider silk to stretch for one kilometer.
The new artificial silk could be very useful. Doctors think it can replace stitches, help the skin after a burn and replace torn ligaments. Airplane companies and clothes companies also see many uses. A researcher said her discovery was important. She said: "This is the first successful example of [copying] spider silk spinning….This may allow…production of artificial silk for bio-material applications or…advanced textiles."