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Very Cool Zenaku. Thank You.
I agree completely.
There are only a few people that are on the inside in kraig. And what your talking about is insider trading. It would be an easy thing to spot if someone made a couple million dollars on a small investment in a very short period. That trade would be caught.
You mean WHEN KBLB does that? :)
If we had the goods, wouldn't the word leak out? Billon dollar companies already working with us and new ones now shopping. If any of them believed that we had the holy grail, wouldn't they want some. I would expect new investors with deep pockets. No new blood here, just the same old same old. Penny stock warriors trying to out do each other...
Sorry DoD, no PM... Yes that is it though. It went through the roof this month. I wish I had a better grasp of the fundamentals. I would have gotten in on it. Can you imagine KBLB doing that?
Zincfinger you are wrong. When reading the supplied links it is VERY clear what was referenced. Especially when looking at the post replied to! The statement from dr Kaplan is legitimate.
I don't care what position one takes, as long as it is taken noting what was said by Kaplan, hansel, and Fraser.
I still have the dr Kaplan email in my inbox.
Zinc finger, if the standard of proof was the same across the board, then how do you "know" that Dr Kaplan is not on KBlB's advisory board ? Please show me the proof for the statements you have made.
The truth is on my side, and I don't care if I stand alone.
Your point is true but totally irrelevant!
My point (about YOUR post of a quote you attribute to Dr. Kaplan) is that IF your post of it was ACCURATE then a search would have revealed the original posting of it if that was not by you.
Since a search reveals ONLY your posts and posts that are quotes of your posts, either your quote was not accurate (i.e.: contained some inaccuracy that caused a search to fail to find it) or you were the source. My point stands: we have ONLY your word for it.
The Post from St cal. you link to means nothing. It makes a comment that only makes sense when you read exactly what it is referring to (i.e.: "what Manshoon posted" (what you posted WHEN?, you've done thousands of posts and what EXACTLY was said in those posts.) but there is no practical way of finding what it does refer to. (and no, I'm not about to go thru thousands of posts. YOU make the claim, it's up to YOU to back it up!)
IMHO you might benefit greatly from a little scientific training because that teaches a great deal about standards of evidence (i.e.: that it actually supports what you say it does, that links and references go to the actual source you are referring to rather than something else quoting that source, etc)
EVIDENCE is something that in and of itself supports (or refutes) a claim. A reference that hearsay exists, that does not even say exactly what the hearsay is, is very clearly not evidence.
Once again: WE DO NOT KNOW. You may THINK you know, but if you have EVIDENCE to support your belief you have failed to show it. Considering my opinion of your past record I am unable to just take your word for it.
Updated Ibox. Feel free to tell me what you like or don't like.
Public or PM me. Have a great weekend all. I have a feeling news is on the horizon. At minimum we should be hearing a "so far so good" blurb regarding the latest 5000 insertions.
Go KBLB.
Respect to those who serve and have served.
Have a safe Memorial Weekend.
Unfortunately with the wonders of the Internet, PRs get so far and wide that there is no way to recall them. I'm sure if Kim could make it disappear he would. The only thing he could now do is to issue another PR to correct the info. I think the time has now passed and for one reason or another he chose not to.
It may well be that he is still involved but more 'hush hush' to prevent him being bombarded like before. I think ZF has recently speculated as such, that he is probably involved but on an ad-hoc consultancy basis. The way I see it, It is in Kaplan's interests as much as KBLB's for him to be involved in some capacity......
Your entire argument is based on as ASSUMPTION that a third hand version of an email is true. We have only YOUR WORD for it. I am not willing to take that as evidence.
What's REALLY interesting is THIS: The ONLY instances of that quote found on a Google search are either YOUR posts or others quoting YOUR posts!. So, again: we have only YOUR WORD for it as you have (conveniently?) failed to provide any link or source. I suspect that if your quote had been accurate a search for it would have led to a source.
I repeat: We have no way of knowing.
Quotes do not amount to evidence unless they are both accurate and have a source. Otherwise they are just hearsay and are only as credible (or otherwise) as the person making the quote.
Bedding and outerwear...sounds too nice. You have vision....
Gamesetmatch, nice call on the R??? PM me your email if you have the capability.
Bedding and outerwear are mega billion dollar markets that will be dominated by spidersilk comprised polymer textiles due to their ability to conduct heat away from the body.
No better fabric to sleep on and stay cool in summer!!!!
(and its hypoallergenic!)
The lightweight and strength of such material blends will permeate the packaging and freight markets, mega billion dollar industries as well.
Then there is the computer industry...,
The military....,
The medical industry..., etc.
The uses are mind boggling as is the size of the market.
Now, if they can come through...
I think the first deal will be a "juicy one", and I agree with your $1 prediction. KBLB is so undervalued! IMO
That would be nice! When the first deal is signed, I bet it will shoot to a $1 that day. It will probably trickle down from there for a while, but $1 is my bet. Kind of like @RNA quadrupled last week on their good news. I get some more funds in June, so hopefully I can get some around .06 before that happens, but if it doesn't I am fine with that as well :)
KBLB
Hopefully, by then, you'll be travelling in a "nice new toy" purchased with a portion of your considerable KBLB profits.
ZF I have tried to figure out what kind of numbers Kraig would currently be up too. How many eggs (MS) do you figure (best guess) Kraig should have now? Should we not be approaching the time line for the last 5000 insertions results?
Appreciate your input.
I hope the 2013 show is in Anaheim! I would be there in a heartbeat
The PRs on iHub still include "Dr. David Kaplan Joins Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Scientific Advisory Board" while never saying anything to contradict it. I just noticed this yesterday, which is why i asked if Dr.Kaplan is still on the Board.
Heading: Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Adds Prominent Biomedical Engineering Authority To It's Advisory Board
LANSING, MI--(June 6th, 2011) - Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. (PINKSHEETS: KBLB) announced today that celebrated biomedical researcher Dr. David Kaplan, whose research interest focuses on the interface between biology and materials science, with over 35 years of scientific applications
research experience, has joined the Company's Board of Scientific Advisors.
Dr. Kaplan is internationally recognized for his work relating to biomedical and other applications for spider silk and biopolymers. He is the Chairman of Tufts University's Department of Biomedical Engineering and is the Dierctor of the Bioengineering and Biotechnology Center. His research focus is on biopolymer engineering to understand structure-function relationships, with emphasis on studies related to self-assembly, biomaterials engineering and functional tissue engineering. He has published more than 400 papers and edited eight books.
Renowned for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions in the realms of science and biomedical engineering, Dr. Kaplan has been awarded numerous honors and awards. Such honors include Elected Fellow, Amercian Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering; Outstanding Faculty Award, Tufts University and the Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service, U.S. Goverment.
"We are very happy to announve that Dr. Kaplan has agreed to join our board of Scientific Advisors," said Kraig Biocraft Laboratories CEO and founder, Kim Thompson. "There is an obvious synergy between the Kraig's work in developing and producing recombinant spider silk and Dr. Kaplan's work in researching and developing practical applications for biopolymers including spider silk."
Thompson continued, "We have always been fortunate in being able to attract the top intellects and talent to both our Scientific Board of Advisors and our Business Board of Advisors. Dr. Kaplan's proven track record in the science of biopolymers and biopolymer applications makes him ideally suited to advise us as we move toward the production of our own spider silk based biopolymers."
Additionally, the Company reminds all interested parties that it will host an informational teleconference on Friday, June 10, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Interested parties are invited to submit questions to benh@ttfsco.com by Thursday, June 9th. Call in details, including phone number and access codes will be announced in a follow-up company release on the morning of the call.
Looks like Kim may be heading to the technical textiles realm as he hasn't signed up for Texworld USA, the largest sourcing event in North America for apparel fabric buyers, R&D and product development specialists, designers, merchandisers and overseas sourcing professionals.
I hope he reconsiders and decides to attend this show, but he could have a deal done before then so it would be a moot point.
http://www.texworldusa.com/index.asp
http://www.texworldusa.com/exhibitorlist.htm
git 'er done and let 'er run ... booooooooyaaaahh to all !
Red
KIM'S STATEMENT:
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., Kim K Thompson, CEO, USA:
"Techtextil North America was an ideal venue for us to debut our products and technology to the technical textile industry. We found it to be unmatched in terms of providing us with networking probabilities and connections to potential customers and corporate partners.”
Zenaku, thank you. You are truly an asset to this board.
One of 5 exhibitors chosen for a statement of 475. Sounds like an impression may have been made.
Here is an article about silk and electronics. Not sure if this exact article was posted. It is a little more specific about the benefits of silk as far as conductivity.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/materials/spider-silk-weaves-new-path-for-electronics
IMO, Kim is interested in partnering with solid, dynamic large multinational companies that have the horsepower to make an investment in KBLB and also develop, manufacture and distribute large quantities of MonsterSilk or Spider silk incorporated in quailty products in their target market.
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=73948361&txt2find=PVH
We are close to the promised land my friends,imo, hopefully we get some great news in the next 10-30-60 days ..... crafting a partnership deal with the appropriate partner takes skill and time.
In the meantime we are building Monstersilk inventory and the quantities of Monster silkworm eggs that will take us to the next level.
git 'er done and let 'er run ...
Red
Never? So I guess KT accidentally wrote a biography for him and posted it on the site?
This is the problem with some of your arguments. You make statements that are absolute. There actually are a couple pieces of evidence.
One is the fact that he was listed on the site. Two is the email from Fraser, unless you think that was posted fraudulently, stating he removed himself from the board after being inundated with contacts.
So actually there is some evidence that he was at one point on said advisory board.
Hi Mike,
"I believe that first income will be a powerful tool towards bringing more recognition to the stock and the company and giving KBLB a market valuation closer to my personal valuation."
Agreed. Important point.
Hi Bob,
Agreed. It's going to take the announcement of a definitive commercialization agreement, before KBLB receives the recognition and exposure necessary, to dramatically move the PPS to a level, that truly reflects its' tremendous potential. IMO
Members of the board of advisers are consulted on an as needed basis rather than in scheduled meetings. There is therefore, very little significant difference between them and someone used as a consultant on an as needed basis. If I were in Kim's position and a member of the board of advisers was having such a problem, what I would do is just tell him that KBLB would use him as a consultant on as needed basis instead of listing him publicly on the board of science advisers.
I have a very strong suspicion that that is exactly what took place. However for very obvious reasons, Kim would not want to confirm that. The bottom line here is that this event did not necessarily have any real significance to KBLB at all and judging from the response of the share price, which recovered to exactly where it had been before after a very brief dip, that's pretty much what the market decided too.
At any rate this is very old news and whatever significance it did have has certainly long since been incorporated into the share price.
I believe an email was posted from dr Fraser. The inundation of contact from, most likely people that have at least viewed, caused him to withdraw. He is likely still at least in communication at a minimal level as he might be developing gen 3 medical products with our materials.
Not directors, Board of Scientific Advisors and no, by his words he is not on the board. This topic was done to death probably over 6 months ago.
To cut a long story short, somebody emailed and got confirmation that he was not. KBLB has gone silent on the issue. Nobody really knows the reason as of yet. Blue Murder was shouted over the issue by people who have no idea of the reasoning.
GLTY
What is going on with KBLB? PPS is staying down too long..
First Mike,
Last week I did a small "all or none" buy order at 0.068. After several dips lower than 0.068 w/o my order executing I called my broker and asked why. Here's the reason given to me:
a) Market orders are filled before 'conditional orders'.
b) 'Conditional orders are executed in the order placed, assuming there's sufficient volume available to fill the conditions of the order'. So, if there were 3 people with a 0.068 buy order ahead of me, they executed first volume permitting.
c) 'All or none' means that.....If there's not that volume available to fill the order, the next guy will smaller volume order gets placed.
After receiving these explainations, it made sense in my case since had dipped below my order price with very small trades.
Hi Romans828,
You are so right. I have been reading article after article about spider silk for over a year now. I have also listened to TED and all of the wedsites Red posted regarding spider silk. There is NEVER any mention of KBLB anywhere.
It is hard to believe. I cannot figure out why either. Hopefully, if Kim can sign some commercialization deal(s) this year, all of this will change. Until then, we seem to be incognito!!!
I was referring to mention in the article on the link "Modified Silkworms Spin Spider Silk"...look who all is mentioned, but no KBLB.
I would show your broker. Maybe they do not make guarantees, but if you are an active trader, maybe they will acquiesce.
Happens to me frequently...the playing field is NOT level...surprise, surprise!
But it also isn't fair that you're better looking than I am, Mike.
You always do a great job of finding articles...Thanks, Zenaku.
They almost never mention KBLB...can someone explain why that is?
C'mon, we deserve mention!
Yeah, I never quite got that. I have seen trades fill lower than my bid as well.
At least we finished today GREEN
Buying in at the low seems to be easier said than done.
At 9:33 AM today I placed an order via TDAmrtrade and CSTI to buy 50,000 shares at a price of 0.0576.
This was Not an all or nothing order nor any other restriction.
At 12:59:42 10,000 shares were traded at 0.0575
At 12:59:56 18,500 shares were traded at 0.0575
At 12:59:56 4,500 shares were traded at 0.055
...higher trades...
At 14:06:34 94,400 shares were traded at 0.057
...higher trades...
more than 2 1/2 times my bid shares traded lower than my preexisting bid!!!
Mike L
Is Dr. Kaplan still on the Board of Directors or not? The announcement of his joining is still on iHub but maybe that doesn't prove anything.
:D If I had some reserve I would totally buy some more. Awesome price.
I am tired of waiting for it to go lower. I still have a stink bid in.
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Moderators MU_Redskin1 gimmegimmeminemine TRUISM EOT WebSlinger |
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!
.
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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