Masao Nakagaki, a professor of insect genetics, has succeeded in creating a thread of which 10 per cent consist of spider proteins by injecting a spider silk gene into silkworms. Spider silk is a miracle substance - lighter than feathers, stronger than steel, one of the toughest fibers found in nature. He and a socks manufacturer, Okamoto Corp, in Japan have made a path-breaking invention by designing a pair of socks from a mixture thread of spider and silkworm proteins.