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

这个为期12个月的项目旨在开发一种新的经济可行的工艺，以生产非桑蚕丝溶液，并提供具有增加组织再生潜力的支架。从驯化的家蚕中提取的蚕丝溶液可以组装成各种各样的材料，从水凝胶，薄膜到海绵和复合材料，由于其蛋白质成分，所有这些都特别适合于生物医学应用。几种野生型（或非桑树）蚕具有一系列接近天然组织的机械特性，以及天然存在于其蛋白质序列中的细胞粘附动机，两者都显着增强了修复或替换受损组织的潜力。然而，到目前为止，它们的蛋白质溶液的开发受到限制，因为从高度交联的纤维中提取蛋白质需要广泛和危险的化学处理，阻止了未来的生产。在这个概念验证项目下，OBM将开发一种新的生态工艺来生产非桑蚕丝解决方案，具有高档和商业化的潜力。

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.