Researchers at the Hannover Medical School in Germany have developed artificial skin made from spider silk. When formed into a fine mesh, the silk from the golden silk orb weaver spider (left) can be grafted onto the human body:
Link -via Nerdcore | Photo via Flickr user leppyone used under Creative Commons license
The researchers found that human skin cells placed on these meshes could flourish, given proper nurturing with nutrients, warmth and air. They were able to cultivate the two main skin cell types, keratinocytes and fibroblasts, into tissue-like patterns resembling epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, and dermis, the layer of living tissue below the epidermis that contains blood capillaries, nerve endings, sweat glands, hair follicles and other structures.
Link -via Nerdcore | Photo via Flickr user leppyone used under Creative Commons license