Cocooned planet

Amazing article about silk at this link, to Seed Magazine.  Until 1999, when the silk producing genome was transcribed (maybe that is not the right word) all the silk came from silkworms, which were kept in confined conditions--still are,--where they are fed a diet of  mulberry leaves, and then killed after they spin their cocoon.
Now scientists can transplant the silk producing gene into other organisms, like potatoes, which turn out to be ideal. The silk harvested this way has many incredible qualities, same as the product of silkworms.Silk is a unique and wonderful product of this planet.