Tufts University engineers have demonstrated that it is
possible to generate nanostructures from silk in an environmentally friendly
process that uses water as a developing agent and standard fabrication
techniques. This approach provides a green alternative to the toxic materials
commonly used in nanofabrication while delivering fabrication quality
comparable to conventional synthetic polymers. Nanofabrication is at the heart
of manufacture of semi-conductors and other electronic and photonic devices.