Benefits
The benefits of genetically modified web spinning goat is that the web produced can be used for many different positive reasons. Spider silk is the strongest naturally occurring fiber and is 6 times strong than steel of the same weight. It also has useful healing abilities and people have been using it to heal wound since before the Middle Ages. From fishing line to artificial tendons, spider silk has promising possibilities.
A benefit is what comes from the spider silk. Currently, researchers and doctor have been trying to use spider strand in nerve, ligament and joint replacements. The silk can be used to repair tendons and nerves. Dr. Vogt, director of plastic surgery at Hanover Medical hospital, states that the spider silk has a very high teat resistance, tensile strength and particularly smooth surface", which would be ideal for surgical purposes (Zyga). Since spider silk is biodegradable, when it is inserted into the human body for whatever reason there is no risk of inflammation, unlike if the replacement was plastic (Zyga). For example, the silk has been used to help burn victims, the silk was transformed into a meshwork frames and human skin cells flourished given the proper environment is present (Halverson). In addition to medical purposes, spider silk is being developed used for many commercial purposes. The concept of a bulletproof vest made from the dragline spider silk fibers, along with fishing line, rope, rust-free paneling, bandage and surgical thread. (Lewis)
Another benefit is the goats themselves, many others have tried spider farms and silk worm farms but they have never been a success. From these farms not enough silk could be harvested to satisfy the demand, or the spiders would kill each other. The output of silk gained from the goats is substantial, from roughly 4 drops of the genetically modified goat's milk about 4 meters of silk could be produced (Lewis). This mean that with these goats more silk can be produced and uses for the amazing purposes mentioned above.
Limitations
Even though there are extraordinary benefits, there are also some limitations. There has not not been sufficient enough research on the goats themselves. Also the spider web produced by these goats are only have 30% of the strength has natural silk from spiders.
With all genetically modified animals or plants, there comes many limitations. In the past transgenic animals have had records of being unhealthy and having shorter life spans. For example, the first cloned sheep, Dolly, was unhealthier and lived only to 7 year old which is about half the normal life span of a sheep. Even though these goats are cloned, transgenic animals have not been fully researched, although the creators of these goats claim they are no different than normal goat physically or mentally, we will not fully know until further research had been conducted. (Ho)
Another limitation is that the strength of the goat produced spider silk does not compare to the silk that comes from a spider directly. This is a limitation because they whole point of to genetically modify a goat was to produce spider silk like that from a real spider and the silk from the goat does not. This could affect how the product is used and performs when made into the products that need to use silk, i.e. bandages, artificial tendons etc. (Ho)
With all genetically modified animals or plants, there comes many limitations. In the past transgenic animals have had records of being unhealthy and having shorter life spans. For example, the first cloned sheep, Dolly, was unhealthier and lived only to 7 year old which is about half the normal life span of a sheep. Even though these goats are cloned, transgenic animals have not been fully researched, although the creators of these goats claim they are no different than normal goat physically or mentally, we will not fully know until further research had been conducted. (Ho)
Another limitation is that the strength of the goat produced spider silk does not compare to the silk that comes from a spider directly. This is a limitation because they whole point of to genetically modify a goat was to produce spider silk like that from a real spider and the silk from the goat does not. This could affect how the product is used and performs when made into the products that need to use silk, i.e. bandages, artificial tendons etc. (Ho)