The Newest North Face Coat Prototype is Made Using Something You'd Never Imagine
The North Face in conjunction with Spiber Inc. have come up with a fascinating new coat technology that is set to revolutionize the way we stay warm. Spiber is a biotech company with the mission of, "When we thought critically about why we're here, and why we're attempting to change the world, we came to a simple conclusion: we live for others."
Well now, everyone at Spiber can live vicariously through those sporting their new "Moon Parka" design, rather than for them.
Spiber was able to isolate the gene responsible for fibroin, spider silk protein generated with the help of microbes. By doing so, they now have (unlimited) access to one of nature's stretchiest and strongest materials: spider silk. Spiber creates it, not by farming spiders, but by introducing fibroin to bioengineered bacteria–which, as you could of guessed, simply created more and more of the silk as the bacteria grew.
Designing clothing is often done with the use of petroleum to produce the fibers and materials needed. Having bacteria churn out the materials needed to create clothing eliminates that process entirely, and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases being put into the Earth's atmosphere. Spiber may have just changed the game for good with this innovation.
Spider explained in this PR statement about the "Moon Parka" how vital this breakthrough is:
"Most sports apparel is made from synthetic polymer materials (such as polyester, nylon, etc.) that require petroleum to produce, and production of these materials consumes massive amounts of energy and produces large amounts of greenhouse gases. With the threat of the world’s fossil fuels running dry, the responsibility of shifting from non-renewable to sustainable resources rests with today’s society."
Suzanne Lee, founder of Biofabricate, told Popular Science, just how important Spiber's creation could be for the future of fashion.
"Not since DuPont first launched Lycra 40 years ago has a textile come along set to revolutionize the fashion industry."
So, get ready fashion-lovers and those in favor of avoiding imminent Global Warming: Spiber may have just saved the day.