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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It actually DOES look like Arachno’s greatest hits!
Looks like they reviewed all my posts over the years and compiled the best points. Kudos KBLB! 😁
I'll sum it all up very succinctly:
World leader in spider silk.
Literally.
Legally.
Factually.
And soon...
Commercially!
💥💥💥BAM !!!💥💥💥
Good update to the website.
https://www.kraiglabs.com/world-leader/
Regarding recent tariff news involving Vietnam as of April 08, 2025, there have been significant developments in the U.S.-Vietnam trade relationship. President Donald Trump has imposed a 46% "reciprocal tariff" on Vietnamese imports, effective tomorrow, April 9, 2025, as part of a broader U.S. policy targeting countries with large trade surpluses. This follows a 10% universal tariff on all U.S. imports that began on April 5, making the total effective tariff on Vietnamese goods substantial. Vietnam, with a trade surplus of over $123 billion with the U.S. in 2024, faces one of the highest rates among affected nations, reflecting its role as a major manufacturing hub and export alternative to China.
In response, Vietnam has actively sought to mitigate the impact. Vietnamese leader To Lam engaged Trump in a phone call described as "very productive," agreeing to negotiate a potential deal to remove tariffs. Vietnam offered to eliminate all tariffs on U.S. imports, as outlined in an April 5 letter from Lam, and requested a 45-day delay in the tariff implementation to allow further talks. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has also pushed for increased purchases of U.S. goods, including defense and security products like Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules planes, and faster delivery of Boeing commercial planes ordered by Vietnamese airlines. Despite these efforts, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro indicated that Vietnam’s zero-tariff offer might not suffice, citing nontariff issues like transshipping from China and intellectual property concerns.
No final deal has been confirmed as of today. Vietnam’s stock market has dropped nearly 14% since the tariff announcement on April 2, reflecting economic unease. The government is reviewing policies on currency, exchange rates, and trade barriers to align with U.S. demands, but the tariffs are set to proceed tomorrow unless a last-minute agreement is reached. This situation remains a critical test of Trump’s tariff strategy and Vietnam’s ability to adapt.
Timing is everything!
WSJ reports that China is ahead of us in Biotech accomplishments. Our government apparently recognizes this and has a focus on getting back into a leadership position ASAP. KBLB has got to be at the top of this group. I believe the silence is part of this play.
M37
Thompson has been bullshitting you all the whole time… kind of happens in the investment world !!…lol !!
And there you are, weasels selling at the bid again. Stupidity or manipulation. I know, but you all choose for yourselves.
Let me just summarize what dimes is trying to tell y’all
Thompson has been bullshitting you all the whole time… kind of happens in the investment world !!…lol !!
a manipulator would sell consistently at the bid.
I apologize for hitting the submit button before I was finished with the previous reply
There is no reason to believe that KBLB was talking about inventories of BAM-1 silk. They are probably talking about inventories of disinfectant, trays for silkworms, testing supplies, and anything else needed to keep the lab operating at top speed. Mulberry can't be stockpiled very easily, but all other resources to support production are probably on the table.
According to my best understanding, KBLB has around 200 kilos of spun silk. Not all of this is Bam-1 and some of the silk may not pass quality control standards. But that wasn't what this PR was referring to.
Only a financial fool, or someone with unlimited shares that cost them less than half of what they are selling them for ie, a manipulator
Somewhere around March 10, KBLB began to raise their first crop of 2024. After producing around 120 kilos of silk in 2023, this crop might be somewhere around 200 to 300 kilos of spun silk. The silkworms should be cocooning within the next week or so. We may get a production update next Monday or Tuesday.
Assuming they want an inventory of around 750 kilos of silk to produce the 1.5 metric tons of SpydaSilk yarn (assuming a 50/50 ratio), it may take another crop before we reach that mark. KBLB might need 2 weeks or so to disinfect the production facility before starting the next crop. That means about May 1st for the start of the second batch of the year, which should be mostly finished by mid-June. Anyone setting their sights on an earlier announcement of sales or products before the mid-to-late June timeframe might be lucky and get it right, or they might be disappointed once again.
Back in 2019, I sponsored a couple of contests about KBLB's share price, based on the news we had about the Army contract and developments in Vietnam. The second of these was to predict the earliest date that KBLB shares would reach $1.00. Obviously no one won the contest by the time it ended late that year. Webslinger predicted the share price would be around 10 cents, maybe even less. Like many others, I thought his prediction was wrong. Yet here we are in 2025, more than 5 years later, and his prediction is still holding true. The reason for bringing this up is not to rub salt in old wounds, but rather to remind everyone that things have never happened according to our expectations or according to KBLB's own estimations (except WebSlinger's of course).
If you want to pencil a date in for when you might expect to hear about the next level of developments (sales, production, products), let me suggest marking down the end of June as an interesting date to focus on. I expect we will get a production update before that time. I hope we will get a production update next week, or the following one. But the idea that KBLB already has a huge inventory of silk ready to be spun into yarn -- there simply isn't any evidence to support that. There is, however, ample evidence to suggest that most of us have believed KBLB was farther along than they really were, time and time again.
<< We are way past two tons of SS by now. >>
BS. The inventory numbers haven't changed in over a year.
Inventory:
Dec 31 2023 - $6,884
Dec 31 2024 - $6,884
<< "Management continues to stockpile critical inventories and establish alternative supply and vendor chains as a precaution against future pandemics, disasters, or governmental actions." >>
That line has been in the filings since March 2022. It isn't anything new. By this point it is just boilerplate BS.
<< They are stockpiling SS. >>
Where? In that imaginary shed that you have been talking about for over ten years? LOL
<< suppressing the stock price by trading at the bid >>
LOL
That's called selling....
Webstinker....We are way past two tons of SS by now. Remember what Kim said in the 10-K:
"Management continues to stockpile critical inventories and establish alternative supply and vendor chains as a precaution against future pandemics, disasters, or governmental actions."
They are stockpiling SS. Not sure why you just flat out lie without reading the PR's. It is all written plain as day for anyone to see, even those with myopic vision! KBLB has past the two ton mark. Wake up! GO KBLB!
Dr. Randy, the weasel biologist in Utah still has too much sway over what gets published or recognized? That may change soon with our new director of scientific research at Kraig labs. The weasel gang went all out today, suppressing the stock price by trading at the bid. So easy to see what they’re doing.
<< We should easily be past the 1.5tonnage by now. >>
WRONG AGAIN!
I just searched "spider silk" and it was 4th. Eventually their name will be synonymous with spider silk. They could do better however....if they had an amazing website and no product then that would lend itself to the theory that Kraig was just a scam. I believe that they are spending where it will produce the most return which right now is definitely NOT on a flashy website.
Search different spider silk terms. Kraig is hard to find lol
Not meaning to be harsh, but I mean they terrible. It’s hard to even imagine how Kraig labs, being the ONLY one to succeed at producing the real Holy Grail of fiber. It’s a world changer……
ALL others have failed, but Bolt threads is still the top result in a search. Gotta dig to find Kraig…
“Get it get on it IR department.“
They should have been on it a long time ago.
Already having 1 1/2 tons of yarn is the same kind of phantasy speculation that had tons of silk hidden away in a secret warehouse behind Warwick Mills. Get a grip! Based on what's been released there's no way we're there yet. I'm hoping for Q3, but allowing for Kim's history of not knowing how a calendar works it could easily go into 2026.
Simple,
Why don’t you ask him? Put him on the spot for an answer. Instead of so many
here speculating or even stating as pretty much a fact tonnage, half tonnage,
multiple tonnage why not put this to rest once and for all and report back here. I don’t mean “bump on a log” Ben either I mean hear it from Kim himself. So many here claim to know
The everyday in and outs of this company and what Kim has and don’t have just put
your money where your mouth is. I believe many here are scared of just so little reeled
silk we have on inventory which is why there aren’t ever any numbers posted.lets see if any of Kim’s psycofants and worshippers will rise to the occasion
Patrik
I agree EOT. Just did a Google search on "silkworm spider silk"... looked at the first three links ...no mention of kblb. Shouldn't be so. Get it get on it IR department.
Kong wantabe
It’s the perfect time. A green ticker in a sea of red would attract investors from everywhere.
Realistically after all the wait, it would be fullish to release THE news in these market conditions.
We all want to finally get more meat, but I'd assume even if he is ready, Kim will wait for things to calm down and have a better market sentiment for real news.
At least I'd prefer that...
Once again a PR that adds to the technological chops of the company while we wait for the production PR to drop.
While some often do not consider that a partner would have to allow for Kim to announce a partnership, that is our reality. I think you are right, on having more than enough to have announced it already.
“When products to sell are in hand?”
Hope not. Kim should already be bringing the SP up slowly and steadily. Talking Spider Silk product and applications and maybe even some pics. Projections and the current production updates should be mentioned in every PR!!!
“It is hard to know what to expect. “
After all this time a good IR department should have Kblb as an exciting google search at the top of all relevant Spider Silk searches imo
We should easily be past the 1.5tonnage by now. It’s time for a company shift into marketing with the developed partnerships and medical applications news by now imo.
What ever drove this change, it’s quite dramatic!!
You need data to be the world leader in *super material* .The data only came from those who tested it in products. Like the military and or medical data..
Old intro…..
“ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("the Company" or "Kraig Labs"), a leading developer of spider silk-based fibers, “
New intro…..
world leader in spider silk-based*SUPER MATERIALS*
EOT, right on. I'm hoping time proves you are correct.
I see they have changed to an accurate introduction moving forward….
“ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 7, 2025 – Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("Company" or "Kraig Labs"), a world leader in spider silk-based super materials, is pleased to announce“……
*SUPER MATERIALS*
With the great success in our production. We should easily be past the 1.5tonnage by now. It’s time for a company shift into marketing with the developed partnerships and medical applications news by now imo.
Our Spider Silkworms are the best disease and problem free silkworms ever seen!! They must be the hottest talk of the town in Vietnam with every farmer wanting to get their hands on them?
Anyway I believe we could get another real major update this week. We are ready to shift now!!!
As a company, KBLB is moving along in the right direction. The CEO needs to do SOMETHING to help his stockholders.
....sorry, that article was regarding her interest/love for spiders and their silk.
After reading an article featuring Dr. Zhang and her love for silkworms and the possibilities, it was easy imagining her being with KBLB at some point.
After checking the pre-opening price today, I'd say the floor price is about 8 cents? Maybe less.
If people thought that KBLB was worth $10 bucks a share, the price would be $10 bucks a share. Instead the price is around 0.86% of what you are suggesting.
Why don't you offer $10.00 per share for several hundred thousand shares? That might bring the price up a bit. I'll get some popcorn and watch the action unfold.
Today's PR strengthens what I have said this before. KBLB's lab is worth at least a billion dollars in any BO situation and probably much more. The lab will just continue creating stronger and more surprising materials ad infinitum.
Kim is methodically building the foundation of this company in an amazing way. The BO price just went up a bit more, and I think the floor price is ten dollars. GO KBLB!
A 100% value statement. If you know, you know.
The wildest part isn’t even the bashing anymore — it’s watching the arguing with yourself in public. 🤣
Slamming the company over here like it owes you therapy, while elsewhere showing support, optimism, and hope. It’s not analysis — it’s a front-row seat to a full-on Investing MPD meltdown.
Clowning a PR for not launching the stock… on a day being dubbed Black Monday across the broader market? Seriously?
That’s not just dishonest — it’s naive.
Expecting a price spike while the market’s in freefall is like showing up to a hurricane with a kite and getting mad it won’t fly.
This wasn’t a fluff piece — it was a strategic leadership appointment. A serious player in molecular biology is now accelerating KBLB’s next-gen fibers toward commercialization. But when you don’t understand what progress looks like — or worse, when you pretend not to — everything tastes like a “nothing burger.”
Here’s a tip: before criticizing the stock, maybe pick a version of yourself that knows how markets actually work. If one exists. SMH
Oh my goodness, I’ll bet this is really gonna move the share price… absolutely hilarious!
Isn’t everybody starting to see this is what you can expect week after week… a big old nothing burger! … where are those commercial contracts Thompson? Where is that full scale production? All he keeps saying is the word commercial commercial commercial commercial…. And yet he produces PR”s like this week after week…. Are we all excited now folks
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is Happy to Announce its New Director of Molecular Biology as it Accelerates Advanced Fibers Development
ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 7, 2025 – Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“Company” or “Kraig Labs”), a world leader in spider silk-based super materials, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Xiaoli Zhang as Director of Molecular Biology.
Dr. Zhang is a proven research and development leader in the field of molecular biology and bioengineering, with numerous groundbreaking accomplishments in spider silk and transgenic silkworms, including publication and citations in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Her research has been pivotal in optimizing the Company’s genetic engineering of silkworms to produce high-performance spider silk.
In the very short time she has worked directly with Kraig Labs, she has rapidly achieved significant breakthroughs in the development of brand-new spider silk-based fibers that target capabilities beyond the currently available materials. The Company is now accelerating the transition of these new developments out of the laboratory with a focus on large-scale commercialization of these revolutionary materials.
“We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Zhang’s invaluable contributions to the development of advanced biomaterials, including spider silk, by appointing her to the pivotal position of Director of our Molecular Biology laboratory and R&D center,” said Kim Thompson, CEO and Founder of Kraig Biocraft Laboratories. “Her expertise and leadership have been essential in driving the development of our next-generation spider silk technology and in our adoption of new genetic engineering technologies. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in material science, Dr. Zhang’s vision and dedication will be instrumental in shaping the future of biomaterials.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Zhang has demonstrated a commitment to innovation in genetic engineering, making her a recognized leader in the field. Her work at Kraig Labs has accelerated the Company’s ability to create new advanced biomaterials.
“I am honored to take on this new role at Kraig Biocraft Laboratories,” said Dr. Zhang. “The advancements we’ve made in spider silk production are just the beginning of what’s possible. I look forward to continuing our groundbreaking work and bringing this incredible material to market at scale.”
Dr. Zhang’s appointment underscores the Company’s commitment to scientific excellence and innovation in biomaterials. As Kraig Labs advances its commercial rollout of spider silk-based textiles, her leadership will be critical in ensuring continued success in the field of bioengineered materials.
For the latest updates on Kraig Labs and its pioneering spider silk technologies, visit www.kraiglabs.com.
For details about other recent Kraig Labs advancements, please watch the Company’s investor conference at www.kraiglabs.com/videos or on the Company’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@kraigbiocraftlaboratories2270.
To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news
About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk-based fiber technologies.
The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information
Statements in this press release about the Company’s future and expectations other than historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” These statements are made on the basis of management’s current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that management’s expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as “believes,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “foresees,” “estimated,” “hopes,” “if,” “develops,” “researching,” “research,” “pilot,” “potential,” “could” or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Company’s business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security.
Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC
(720) 288-8495
I couldn't open the link, Amote. Regardless, you are totally right about a global realignment happening now. The Art of the Deal is in full swing as the world starts paying US rather than us taking care of them. For decades, we have been getting screwed by the likes of Canada, Europe, China and Japan, etc.
This is the start of the Golden Age for America. Although the psychotic markets and especially the lame stream media are both looking at these tariffs the wrong way, they will create millions of high paying jobs for Americans. Tariffs are BULLISH for working men and women. Even the president of the auto workers union said the same thing. The markets will explode once these tariffs begin taking effect six to twelve months from now if not sooner. This realignment will help Vietnam and KBLB.
Meanwhile, stocks are dirt cheap and so is our goldmine, KBLB. Although the markets tanked on Thursday and Friday, KBLB only fell 2.28% on Friday. Time to back up the truck on America and KBLB. Everything is on sale! This is how Americans become rich, taking advantage of cheap stocks by buying them in situations like this one. GO KBLB!
Thanks for the Link... excellent. More to come...more trade between our nations. KBLB investors will benefit. Other nations will wise up. Imo.
Go KBLB!!!
He lost me at tastes like mealworm. He must’ve eaten a mealworm before. KBLB failing to meet metric tonnage has really come to this.
Trying to find a video of this father and son that ate one straight from the can but I can’t find it. It was a South Korean brand. They ate them straight from the can and then also cooked them.
I may need to take this dude’s approach and cook them with garlic and oil or something. I am totally grossed out at the thought. But he seems to like them except for the buggy smell until he cooks them.
Dammit Thompson. Maybe I’ll rent a place with a kitchen, cook them, then go. Getting sick thinking about it.
My only hope are the few that posted they think KBLB has achieved metric tonnage and just haven’t announced it yet. But I doubt it.
Tastes like chicken in the center? Really???
A beer snack?
Wrapped in newspaper? What? Do you eat the newspaper too? Why not just wrap it in a KBLB trademark PR and eat it.
A buggy smell…. 🤮
And yet the share price maintains well above most of our cost averages. Thanks for the update.
****BREAKING NEWS*****MORE DILUTION****
The Scumbag CEO diluted more shares.....
The O/S increased from 1,043,826,733 to 1,044,226,733. 📉
Lots more dilution to come (about 205 MILLION more shares)....
Wash, rinse, repeat....
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/KBLB/security
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Email: corporate@KraigLabs.com
KRAIG LABS WEBSITE FOR INVESTORS
Quarterly and Annual Reporting to the SEC is available on the Company's Website and EDGAR.
* Financial Statements * SEC Filings *
Outstanding Shares as of January 12, 2023
For issues or questions relating to share certificates or the transfer of securities please contact the company's transfer agent:
Olde Monmouth Stock Transfer Co., Inc.
200 Memorial Pkwy.
Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey 07716
Phone: (732) 872-2727
(since August 14, 2013)
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (KBLB) is the first company with a commercially feasible spidersilk to be mass produced.
Kraig Labs is a biotechnology company focused on the development of commercially significant high performance polymers and technical fibers. Kraig Lab's focus has been on the production of a transgenic silkworm incorporating specific gene sequences from the golden orb weaving spider. These specific gene sequences inserted are to enable the silkworm to spin a new recombinant fiber which incorporates spider silk proteins. With the scientific breakthrough announced on September 29, 2010, Kraig Labs is now working to commercialize the transgenic silkworms to compete in the garment industry silk market. The value for the chinese raw silk market alone is 3-5 billion per annum. With the creation of 20 seperate transgenic silkworms, all with unique properties, Kraig Labs is now working at an accelerated pace to build upon their first generation transgenic organisms to develop their second generation of transgenic silkworm incorporating spider silk proteins. The scientists nearly doubled the strength of the silkworm with these specific spider gene insertions. Their second generation of transgenics are expected to be complete in 2011. These second generation organisms are to be compared with the strength, flexibility and resiliency of the native spider in which the gene sequences are derived from. These fibers which will match the strength of spider silk are expected to compete in the technical textiles market valued in excess of 120 billion per annum. The 3rd generation organisms are currently in the planning phase. These organisms are expected to spin fibers exceeding the strength of native spiders and may incorporate gene sequences that release an antibiotic, or to help reduce scarring with use in bandages.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has a sponsored research and development program with the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Wyoming. The genetic work is occurring at the University of Notre Dame, headed by Dr Malcolm Fraser, Phd. The gene sequences are derived from Dr. Randy Lewis's(University of Wyoming) patented gene sequences of the golden orb weaving spider. Kraig labs is paying for all expenses incurred for this research and development program, and thus Kraig Labs has exclusive global commercialization rights with the technologies developed, including methods, organisms, and fibers produced.
MANAGEMENT
Kim Thompson, Founder and CEO
As the CEO of the company, Mr. Thompson is the only member of the scientific advisory board who is also
a part of the corporation's management. His formal education lies in the fields of economics and law.
He received his B.A. in Applied Economics from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in 1994.
Mr. Thompson founded Kraig Biocraft Laboratories in his pursuit of the development of new biotechnologies
with industrial applications. As chairman of the scientific advisory board, he brings a unique perspective,and
acts as the primary liaison between the advisory board and the corporation.
Mr. Thompson brings a wealth of experience in business management and consultation to Kraig. Following
the completion of his undergraduate degree, Mr. Thompson joined California Craftsman, Inc. as a
Vice-President with primary responsibility for both marketing and human resources.
Kim Thompson was the director of business development at Franchise Venture Partners, LLC. He subsequently
joined the firm of Shearson, Lehman, Hutton where he specialized in equity trading and research of small cap
companies. Mr. Thompson received the highest series seven score for all Shearson brokers in his class nationwide.
His experience in those small cap equity markets has proven to be invaluable both in his legal and business successes.
Prior to becoming a public company CEO, Mr. Thompson was the founder and senior litigation partner in a California
commercial law firm where he worked as corporate and litigation counsel to privately held and public companies.
His many accomplishments in corporate law include winning and collecting in full what his firm believes to have been
the largest award of lost profits in a California commercial arbitration up to that time. An important part of his work was
winning victories on behalf of corporate clients in disputes over intellectual property and distribution rights. He has
represented business clients ranging from small start ups and micro caps to Fortune 100 companies.
With a background in business leadership and in advising public and private corporations, Kim Thompson continues
to bring a unique perspective to the successful management of business. His extensive business and legal background
enables him to create practical solutions to business problems and seize opportunities for growth.
Mr. Thompson is a member of the Triple Nine Society for persons with documented genius level IQs (having tested above
the 99.9th percentile). He is also active in the realm of science and invention where he has to his credit a number of
provisional patent applications including innovations in the areas of biotechnology, organic polymers, genetic engineering
and magnetic field manipulation, among others.
Mr. Rice has over 13 years’ experience growing development stage businesses with a focus on technology development, commercialization, and go to market strategies. Mr. Rice holds a B.S. in Chemical engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Prior to joining Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Mr. Rice was the Director of Advanced Technologies for Ultra Electronics, AMI. In this role, Mr. Rice was responsible for the identification, capture, and execution of new technology programs. During his tenure with AMI, Rice secured more than twenty five million dollars in funded development programs from the US Department of Defense which his team successfully leveraged into commercially viable spinoff products. Mr. Rice was also responsible for technical sales, marketing, and promotion of AMI’s products and capabilities. Rice joined AMI as the third full time employee and helped to lead the organization through its rapid growth and ultimate acquisition by Ultra Electronics in 2011.
Earlier in his career Mr. Rice developed unique advanced manufacturing techniques, established and trained a production staff, led engineering development, authored numerous technical papers, and is a recognized subject matter expert. Mr. Rice holds 5 issued patents and numerous provisional patents.
Mr. Rice brings a history of transforming revolutionary ideas into viable commercial products.
Mr. Rice is currently completing his Masters of Business Administration through the Executive Program at the Eli Broad College of Business: Michigan State University.
Despite the huge potential of genetically modified animals outside of laboratory research, commercialisation of these animals has been extremely limited. Numerous factors, including negative consumer perception, regulatory hurdles, and limitations inherent to classical GM technologies, have kept the majority of GM animal applications within the realm of academic research. However genome editing using zinc finger nucleases could help develop new markets for the future commercialisation of GM animals.
Genetic modification is commonplace throughout the life sciences sector, from fundamental research to pharmaceutical testing. GM cellular and animal models are valuable tools for the study of many chronic diseases, the testing of pharmaceutical compounds and the development of new therapeutic strategies. Genetic modification also offers great benefits in vaccine and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, which rely heavily on the use of GM organisms for biomolecule design and production. Modifying the genome of an organism or cell line allows the incorporation of target biomolecules in specific biological contexts, as well as the transfer of a gene product from a low-producing organism to one that can produce on a commercial scale. These applications have been widely accepted for many years, with countless GM organisms approved for medical manufacturing applications by drug regulators in all major countries. Despite this widespread success within the research and pharmaceutical sectors, the use of GM organisms outside of these markets has been limited.
Despite the lack of broad acceptance for most commercial applications of GM animal products, this technology has been able to gain traction in a few market sectors. The most obvious application has been the commercialisation of transgenic animals for the production of biomolecules for therapeutic use. Cattle, sheep and goats have been used for large-scale production of antibodies, steroids and hormones - most notably insulin - for many years. In 2009, GTC Biotherapeutics received US FDA approval for bioproduction of a recombinant human antithrombin. This product - ATryn - is extracted from the milk of transgenic goats, and is the first approved biopharmaceutical to be produced using genetically engineered animals. Although this is a significant breakthrough for the commercialisation of GM animals, it is still within the pharmaceutical industry, and is a natural progression of existing cell-based technologies. Of potentially greater commercial interest is the extension of genetic engineering outside of this sector, into areas such as food production, textiles and even companion animals.
GM crops have been available in many countries since the early 1990s, and numerous cash crops - including sugar beet, soybean, corn and tomatoes - have been modified to improve resistance to disease, increase the rate of growth or enhance nutritional value. However, cultivation of these transgenic crops is generally tightly regulated, particularly within the European Union, and this, together with negative public opinion, has limited the more widespread development of GM technologies.
Similar to GM crops, many of the animals currently under development are intended to confer disease resistance, an application particularly suited to the use of zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology. Many diseases can be treated by the targeted deletion or modification of a host gene. With ZFNs, these targets can be modified with no footprint of genetic engineering. Due to the high costs of raising livestock, another area of focus in developing commercial GM animals has been increasing the rate of growth or size of animals. Among the first GM animals likely to be launched is a fast growing salmon from AquaBounty. The AquAdvantage Salmon is designed to reach market size in half the time of a wild type salmon, reducing costs for fish farmers and limiting the environmental impact of salmon farming by avoiding the need for ocean pens.
Although genetic engineering of animals for food is primarily driven by economic pressures, GM technologies have also been used in the companion animals market. In this sector, genetic modification can be used for practical purposes - such as the creation of hypoallergenic animals or the correction of heritable congenital defects which have arisen though inbreeding - or for purely cosmetic purposes, such as GloFish. The first example of a GM pet, GloFish are fluorescent zebrafish (Danio rerio) that have had genes encoding naturally fluorescent proteins (GFP, YFP, RFP) inserted into their genome. Developed by a group at the National University of Singapore, GloFish were originally created to develop live detection systems for water pollution. They were introduced as pets in the United States in 2003 following over two years of extensive environmental research and consultation. In Europe however, the sale and possession of GloFish is prohibited by rigorous legislation concerning the use of GM technologies.
By allowing precisely targeted insertion of spider genes and concomitant removal of endogenous silkworm silk genes at the same locus, ZFN technology offers the potential for development of transgenic silkworms which will produce native spider silk at commercially viable levels
Perhaps even more interesting from a commercial perspective is the use of GM animals in the manufacture of textiles. Silkworms - actually the larval form of the silkmoth Bombyx mori - have been used for the production of silk for thousands of years, with natural silk still produced by the cultivation of silkworms today. Silkworm cocoons are unwound to create linear silk threads, then re-spun into textiles in much the same way as cotton. Although the applications of silkworm silk are numerous, due to their unique physical and chemical properties, there is also widespread interest in the silks of several other insects.
Spider silk, in particular, offers numerous possibilities within the technical textiles industry, due to its incredible tensile strength and elasticity; characteristics which have not yet been replicated in synthetic materials. Like all insect silks, spider silk fibres consist of repetitive units of protein crystals separated by less structured protein chains. The exact properties and composition of each spider silk vary with its intended function. Major Ampullate or dragline silk, for example, is relatively hydrophobic with very high tensile strength and toughness, as it is used to form the outer rim and spokes of a web. In contrast, hydrophilic capture spiral silks, which form the inner structures of the web, are sticky and highly elastic to effectively entrap prey. This high degree of variability offers enormous potential for the textiles industry, raising the possibility of tailoring the properties of silk to create advanced technical fabrics, for applications such as bulletproof vests, parachute canopies and automobile airbags; biomedical applications, including sutures and tendon and ligament repair; new fabrics, for sportswear and clothing; and even microelectronics.
Although the use of spider silks for microsutures has recently been reported, more widespread application of spider silk technologies is currently limited by the difficulty in producing silks on a commercially viable scale. This is due to the difficulties of rearing spiders in large numbers, due to their highly territorial and cannibalistic nature. As a result, the harvesting of spider silk fibres is extremely time consuming and labour intensive, with production of the only known spider silk garment - an 11 foot by 4 foot shawl made from golden orb spider silk - taking 150 people over five years to produce and costing in excess of £300,000!
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To overcome these limitations, and allow future development of spider silk technologies, an alternative strategy for spider silk production is required. This makes spider silk production an obvious candidate for genetic modification, inserting spider silk genes into the genome
of other silk-making insects for bioproduction. For example, random insertion of orb spider silk genes into silkworms has allowed production of hybrid spider/silkworm silk using traditional silkworm farming strategies. The resulting hybrid silk contains approximately 10% spider silk
and has greater strength and durability than native silkworm silk, raising the possibility of using transgenic silkworms to produce pure spider silks.
Though straightforward in principle, the exchange of native silkworm genes for spider silk genes, alongside more widespread exploitation of genetic engineering, has been limited by the inherent restrictions of conventional GM technologies.
The generalised process of modifying an organism requires several capabilities, including:
While many different techniques exist for accomplishing each of these steps, most GM technologies offer a compromise between the efficiency of the technique and the ability to accurately and precisely target the locus of interest. Viral genomic delivery technologies effectively deliver nucleic acids to cells and organisms, but fall short on ability to target specific regions of the genome, generally only allowing random insertion of genetic material. In comparison, transposase technologies allow a greater degree of targeting, but leave unwanted traces of exogenous DNA in their wake. Other methods involve the introduction of naked DNA into the cell, which results in insertion into the genome at very low frequencies, usually at random, limiting this approach to organisms that can be economically cultivated at high densities and screened in large numbers. Simply put, most techniques for genetic manipulation are random, inefficient and leave a 'footprint' of foreign DNA. While this is usually tolerated in basic research, it is not acceptable for most commercial applications, and has been a major hurdle for GM animal technologies to date.
The advent of zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology represents a significant breakthrough for commercialisation of GM animal products, offering precisely targeted, efficient genome editing for the first time. Commercially available through Sigma Life Science under the CompoZr brand, this technique can be used to create permanent and heritable changes to an organism of interest.
This high degree of variability offers enormous potential for the textiles industry, raising the possibility of tailoring the properties of silk to create advanced technical fabrics
ZFNs are a class of engineered DNA binding proteins that facilitate targeted editing of the genome by creating double-strand breaks at user-specified locations. These breaks stimulate the cell's natural DNA repair mechanisms - homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) - which can be exploited to achieve rapid and permanent site-specific modification of the desired genes. While HR can be used to insert foreign DNA sequences, NHEJ allows the cell's natural processes to create precisely targeted mimics of natural mutations which leave no traces of foreign DNA. Unlike previous techniques, ZFNs offer excellent sequence specificity, binding 24 to 36 base pair target sequences to virtually eliminate off target effects, and are able to achieve modification rates exceeding 20 %, well above rates for most other technologies.
The technique is already being used to create transgenic silkworms for spider silk production. By allowing precisely targeted insertion of spider genes and concomitant removal of endogenous silkworm silk genes at the same locus, ZFN technology offers the potential for development of transgenic silkworms which will produce native spider silk at commercially viable levels.
GM technologies have revolutionised the research world and have great potential in a variety of commercial applications, but have been limited by the inherent restrictions associated with historical GM technologies. The main drawback of these technologies is their inability to accurately and efficiently target genes of interest, instead relying on random insertion of genetic material into host genomes. These limitations result in the need for extensive and costly screening to identify animals with correct transgene expression (without compromising the viability of the animal), and also result in the co-expression of both the transgene and native homologues already present.
The advent of ZFN technology signifies the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the world of genetic modification, allowing precise, targeted and efficient genome editing for the first time. Production of native spider silk using transgenic silkworms is just one example of the potential commercial applications of this innovative technology, taking us one step closer to the reality of industrial scale biomanufacturing and paving the way for an entirely new spectrum of environmentally friendly materials.
Authors:
Joseph Bedell and Brian Buntaine
Commercial Animal Technologies Group, Sigma Advanced Genetic Engineering (SAGE) Labs, Sigma Life Science
HEADLINES FOR KRAIG BIOCRAFT LABORATORIES / (KBLB):
PHOTOS FROM VIETNAM POSTED JULY 6, 2018
ANN ARBOR, Mich., – January 7, 2019 –Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“Company”), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, announces today that it has successfully delivered the first two shipments of its highly specialized silkworms, which produce a silk with the physical characteristics of spider silk, to Vietnam.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of more than 5 years of work, and challenging negotiation, with the government of Vietnam. The silkworms from these first two shipments have already hatched and are now enjoying a fresh mulberry diet, so, for the first time in history, the global demand for spider silk materials has a viable, cost effective, and scalable solution.
“The dream of commercializing our powerful technology is now materializing. This marks a dramatic leap forward in Kraig Labs’ business plan for commercial production and mass marketing of cost effective recombinant spider silk, and becomes the foundation for an entirely new industry,” said, COO, Jon Rice. “To our long-term shareholders, who have taken this journey with us, as well as our team in the US and Vietnam, who have worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality, I cannot thank you enough. As we start the New Year, full of new opportunity, we truly have something incredible to celebrate.”
The Company has been working with leading sericulture experts, biotechnology institutions, and governmental agencies, in Vietnam, to further boost the silk industry with our revolutionary technology. Kraig Labs is currently finalizing renovation plans for a ~46,000 square foot production factory in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.
“Our plan has always been to bring our technology to the silk producing regions of the world for rapid scale-up,” said, CEO and Founder, Kim Thompson. “Today we see the fruits of that effort. With its massive silk infrastructure and production capacity, Vietnam is an ideal location to launch our technology scale-up. Congratulations to our team and shareholders, as we prepare for the realization of large scale production.”
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