ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2007) — Smooth as silk. Warm as wool; ______ as wheat gluten. Marketing specialists may be challenged to fill in that blank in the future, now that scientists in Nebraska report the first successful production of high-quality fibers from wheat gluten, that grain's major protein.

In an article scheduled for the Feb. 12, issue of ACS' Biomacromolecules, a monthly journal, they describe the new fibers as having mechanical properties similar to wool. Some of the properties of wheat gluten fibers also are superior to soy protein and casein materials intended for biomedical applications, the report states.

Wheat gluten fibers would have a major cost advantage over both wool and silk, the two existing commercial natural protein fibers, according to the researchers. While wool sells for about $5-$8 per pound, and silk for $10-$14 per pound, wheat gluten fetches less than 50 cents per pound and huge quantities are available worldwide.

The report describes recent efforts to produce commercial quantities of fiber from milk, corn, peanut and other proteins.

"Unfortunately, none of these attempts have been commercially successful to produce 100 percent protein fibers mainly due to the high cost and poor quality of the fibers," the report adds. It includes a description of the properties of wheat gluten fibers and images of fiber strands.

Dyed wheat gluten fibers. (Courtesy of Yiqi Yang)

Related Stories

Nanotechnology Lends A Hand With 'Self-cleaning' Wool And Silk Fabrics (Feb. 14, 2008) — Wool skirts and silk ties may avoid those pricey trips to the dry-cleaner in the future and clean themselves, researchers in Australia and China suggest. They report development of a nanoparticle ...  > read more

Protecting U.S. Troops With Fireproof Wool (May 4, 2008) — Wool is less susceptible to burning than synthetic fibers. This makes it an ideal fabric for uniforms worn by U.S. troops, firefighters and others whose occupations expose them to fire. Chemist have ...  > read more

Researchers In Spain Develop New Gluten-free Bread (Dec. 19, 2006) — Researchers at the Food Technology Plant Special Research Centre (CeRPTA) have for the first time developed a completely gluten-free bread that is of a much higher quality than products currently ...  > read more

Of Rice And Hen: Fashions From The Farm (Sep. 17, 2006) — In the future, it might be perfectly normal to wear suits and dresses made of chicken feathers or rice straw. Scientists at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln plan to develop these agricultural ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Healthier Pizza