Our Transgenic Future

Our Transgenic Future examines how genetic modification reshapes the natural world, focusing on goats engineered with spider DNA by US military and civilian scientists. The goats' milk carries a spider-silk protein fiber that can be spun into ultra-strong fabric for lightweight military body armor.

Researchers also anticipate that transgenically produced spider silk could advance medicine through biocompatible inserts such as prosthetics and bandages. The book draws on in-depth research with spiders in Florida and transgenic goats in Utah.

It traces how these spidergoats came into existence, the researchers who maintain them, the funders who made their lives possible, and how they fit within the broader science of transgenics and synthetics. The narrative explores what such advances portend for the natural world and the futures they may bring.

Key Features