Silky smooth semiconducting.

From Silk Cocoon to Medical Miracle: Scientific American:

Today bioengineers are infusing the natural protein fibers spun by silkworms with enzymes and semiconductors. They are processing the modified strands under varying temperature, shear and acidic conditions to create novel materials with remarkable properties.

Read Red Butterfly to my daughter the other night (her choice from the library), so the silk story caught my eye. The story turned out not to be a favorite of ours; however, it looks like new chapters in the history of silk are being written.