Innovative, upscalable and ecological process to produce wildtype silk protein solutions

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This 12 months project aims at developing a new economically viable process to produce nonmulberrysilk solutions and to offer scaffolds with increased tissue regenerative potential. Silksolutions extracted from the domesticated Bombyx mori can be assembled into a wide rangeof materials, from hydrogels, films to sponges and composites, all particularly suited tobiomedical applications due to their protein composition. Several varieties of wildtype (or nonmulberry)silkworms have a range of mechanical properties closer to native tissues as well ascellular adhesion motives naturally occuring in their protein sequence, both significantlyenhancing the potential to repair or replace damaged tissue. However the exploitation of theirprotein solutions has been limited so far, as extracting the proteins from their highlycrosslinked fibres requires extensive and hazardous chemicals treatments, preventing futuremanufacture. Under this proof of concept project, OBM will develop a new, ecologicalprocess to produce non-mulberry silk solutions, with potential for upscale andcommercialisation.