A South Korean research team has succeeded in producing silk from sea anemones for the first time in the world.

The team led by Professor Cha Hyeong-jun of the chemical engineering department at Pohang University of Science and Technology said it successfully produced the silk fabric using silk protein that was created by redesigning the protein genes of sea anemones.

The team’s success marks the first time that silk has been produced by a maritime creature.

The university team said sea anemone protein is superb in elasticity and strength. It added it hopes the substance's versatility will lead to its use in bio and tissue engineering and in therapeutic agents or bulletproof materials.