Silk is a fabric which has been fashionable down the centuries. It is also a popular material in science experiments because of some characteristics that the natural material is endowed with. One primary weakness of using silk had been it’s strength. A silk thread would snap quite easily.

However now researchers at the Tsinghua University at China may have overcome this problem with a rather unique approach. They literally sprayed a 0.2% graphene solution (that is essentially carbon nano tubes) on to the mulberry leaves that silk worms eat.

The silk that is produced from worms fed on this enhanced diet is nearly twice as strong compared to the regular silk produced. The additional finding that the researchers reported included the fact that the super strong silk was also sporting a more orderly structure than natural silk.

In addition the super silk had a percentage of graphite which allowed the fiber to conduct electricity. The possibilities of using this fiber are endless. You could have eco friendly protective fabrics, stronger medical implants and designer electronics which you can wear. As the silk production is increased in terms of quantity, this science project will develop much more relevance from an economic point of view.