Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) in a hole at 150 meters depth. Latitude 37 58 N., Longitude 123 27 W. California, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. 2004.
The hagfish or “slime eel” shoots out slime containing silk-like fibers of remarkable strength. Douglas Fudge, a biologist at the University of Guelph, says it could be a good substitute for today’s synthetic fibers—it’s 10 times stronger than nylon, for example—and bacteria can be trained to make it.
Segment Guests
Douglas Fudge
Douglas Fudge is a head researcher in the Comparative Biomaterials Lab and an associate professor of biology at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario.
Meet the Producer
About Christopher Intagliata
@cintagliataChristopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.