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With production now ready to expand to this side of the world. Let’s not forget what is coming as we expand….
JANUARY PR…..
“During the ramp-up phase, while production quantities are relatively limited, the Company is targeting end-product applications in fashion and performance apparel. "Because production quantities will be relatively limited during the early stages of the production ramp-up, and because we will have control of that limited supply of Dragon Silk, it makes sense for us to focus on markets where we can control the end use of the Dragon Silk That will allow us to potentially share in a portion of the value-added manufacturing and distribution beyond the creation of the recombinant spider silk itself," said Company Founder and CEO, Kim Thompson. "In essence, we are looking for partial vertical integration in these early spider silk products to maximize our market position.”
As production quantities increase, the Company expects to begin addressing demand from additional market segments, including:
Engineering textiles
Composites
Cosmetics
Defensive and protective textiles
Bio-plastics that are biodegradable and bio-compatible
Fiber optics
Medical textiles, fibers, ligaments, wound dressings, skin grafts, and tissue engineering
The Company believes that the enhanced strength and toughness of its Dragon Silk line of materials, combined with their bio-degradable and biocompatible properties, will be able to address existing material needs in these markets and many more.”
Looking a little topped out here…probably going slide down this week…was a good run…more to come…
As disappointed as some might be about tonnage by the end of they year, new investors taking a look here won’t be…14 cents is dirt cheap and a few months for mass production ain’t that long…to them…
They paid the debt.
First Sales will explode revenues $$
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Completes Closeout of $8 Million Financing, Extinguishing All Convertible Debentures with Yorkville Advisors
Press Release | 11/21/2022
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("Company" or "Kraig Labs"), the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, announces that it has completed the debt-to-equity conversion on $8 million of convertible debentures with Yorkville Advisors. This closeout comes several months ahead of schedule and positions the Company to enter 2023 without any convertible debt obligations to Yorkville Advisors.
The Bash crew is very nervous. They don’t care how ridiculous they look. Their desperation is entertaining!!!
$$$KBLB$$$
There are other ways to pay bills and clear debt. The CEO has plenty of shares he can sell to clear 10M and never miss them.
<< If the SP continues to rise he want have to dilute. >>
That is incorrect.
A rising or falling shareprice has nothing to do with paying the bills (and stuffing the Douchebag CEO's pockets).
KBLB is losing millions of dollars a year, cash is dwindling, and has $9 MILLION of debt.
KBLB has even been preparing shareholders for massive dilution by posting the S-1s on a continual basis. Those show that KBLB is looking to dilute $10.5 MILLION.
Dilution is coming "soon"....
The fact that Kraig Labs has succeeded at Spider Silk mass production and now expanding around the world is worthy of so much more than the current price.
Nearly 1M shares in the first 8 minutes. Go figure.
Ten posts in an hour. Unstable...
And how about another week of news! Hope to hear more about Campbodia and other potential plans in the next few weeks.
If the SP continues to rise he want have to dilute.
<< Hey WebSlinger, what do you think about the SP rise from .03 to nearly .14. Just your opinion. >>
I think that it is a massive pump by the Douchebag CEO so that he could setup another massive dilution, sell bags filled with poop to unsuspecting investors, and stuff his pockets full of shareholder's hard-earned money.
Wash, rinse, repeat.....
Hey WebSlinger, what do you think about the SP rise from .03 to nearly .14. Just your opinion.
The only ones that look ridiculous are the rah rah pumpers that have been drinking the Kool Aid for over a decade....
Stop working so hard you are looking ridiculous.
Relax now!!
Agreed and I did. Where were you in 2013? You didn't even have your job bashing KBLB at that time. Did you move out of your mom's basement? If so you may need to arrange going back.
So the Douchebag CEO has been lying for over a decade?
"Pretty crazy huh….duh lol"
You still don’t understand that they needed to build an impressive infrastructure in a silk nation like Vietnam?
Pretty crazy huh….duh lol
Speak louder CURBIE 2, 2014 and 2024 are very different. Your days are over.
KBLB could have more to sell than just silk before year end.
EXPANDING PRODUCTION INTO CAMBODIA. GO KBLB!
lol just look at their history it’s hilarious.
Anyway….
Kraig is well into mass production of Spider Silk.
Metric tonnage is a completely different level!!
As reported. SPYDASILK already has the fiber to launch the brand, but Kim was just waiting to secure production. That’s happened + expansion plans!!!
<< You know we had Covid problems in 2020. >>
Always some excuse....
What the hell does that have to do with 2014????
There was a Sci Fi Book that used Spidersilk to make a cable that reached low earth orbit. And they had an elevator that moved up and down that cable to launch satellites, and they had a huge space station up there also...........
Z
You know we had Covid problems in 2020. The only douchebag here is you fir omitting those problems.
That said , STAY TUNED!!!! YMIGH!!!!
For over a century, mankind tries to produce spidersilk in mass, but every company failed, except Kblb. Talking about one ton, 2 or 3 tons in 1 or 2 or 6 months, that's not the issue!
The issue is that KBLB CAN MASS PRODUCE SPIDERSILK, no more, no less. The expansion in other countries as Cambodia will be just the beginning of wordwide expansion. Only morons argue about kg or tons at a small timeframe as june or july or whatever. Kblb's success is already there, this pr just underlines it. I am betting on a green day in pps to come.......
We can hold a KBLB success after party at the top of Morgan Tower in Phnom Phn…..
Bash brothers hard at it this morning. Apparently we should be disappointed by the company expecting metric tonnage production by year end (if not sooner).
Has anyone else noticed, this time around, Kim has been more cautious about setting expectations? And yet, he has announced trials were “an unabashed success”, expects tonnage by year’s end and is already looking into expanding production into other countries.
I see very little reason for disappointment at this point. Progress has been steady since December. Share prices is 4X what it was in January.
But we should be unhappy? Only those looking to drag KBLB down would want anyone to believe that..
W2R
They are on target with expectations they put out last Fall. Cambodia, especially Phnom Phn, is trying to get their silk industry going again. Watch the video I posted on Phnom Phn.
The Douchebag CEO has been full of horse manure for over a decade....
Jetow: “I was trying to be nice before, but here goes... I don't waste my time arguing with idiots.”
That’s good to know. Otherwise you might spend hours arguing with the man you see in the mirror.
And calling someone a crybaby is your idea of nice?
Yeah, I have to agree also. I thought things were further along than that…curious how investors react to this
Fashion Videos: Cambodia
The bright colors are amazing.
They seem to be hush about the ongoing Dragon Silk mass production.
When this was written we were not ready with mass production, but now as announced in December Dragon Silk is ongoing in an undisclosed facility….interesting!!
November 1, 2018
“Kraig Biocraft Laboratories.
Fibre developer Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has developed a strain of genetically engineered silkworms with properties targeted for protective textiles applications for the US Army.
Developed under a contract with the US Army, ‘the stronger, yet less elastic’ engineered silkworm strain called Dragon Silk 2.0 is built upon Kraig Biocraft’s existing Dragon Silk protective fibre used to create body armour.“
Well this pr really throws a damper on metric tonnage anytime soon hoping this
Pr still shows up as being positive for the pps.
Patrik
The best silk Krama sell for up to $200US in Cambodia. Silk Krama is used for engagements, wearing as scarfs, swaddling babies and all sorts of things. May seem like nothing news to you, but it is a money making opportunity for KBLB and an opportunity for Cambodia to revitalize it sericulture industry using the latest technology.
We have been told over and over again that the company PRs are the ONLY way to know the real "truth" about KBLB.
OK, well, let's take a look at that so-called "truth" from some of KBLB's PRs over the years:
- How about the PR that (falsely) stated that they were going to make their 1st delivery around Oct 16, 2022?
KRAIG BIOCRAFT LABORATORIES ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO DIVERSIFY AND EXPAND ITS PRODUCTION BASE
ANN ARBOR, Mich., – May 13, 2024 –Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“the Company” or “Kraig Labs”), announces today that it is pursuing a possible business expansion into Cambodia to support the rapid growth and diversification of its recombinant spider silk production.
The Company’s founder and CEO, Kim Thompson, together with a joint team from Kraig Labs and Prodigy Textiles, recently surveyed potential production locations in Cambodia. During the survey the team identified areas of the country which would be suitable for production. An added draw to Cambodia is its proximity to existing Kraig Labs operations, its business-friendly environment, and specific opportunities identified by the team.
With the overwhelming success of the Company’s spring production trials and the rapid expansion of production planned for this year, management is working to add additional potential capacity and diversify its production base.
“Cambodia would be a strong complement to our expanding production operations,” said Thompson. “Diversification and expansion of our operations has been a core element of our business model. With the success of the spring production trials, we are now in a position to activate this next expansion stage.”
Production at the Company’s existing facilities is expected to continue to increase exponentially over the next two quarters, with the target of one metric ton before year’s end. Thompson and Dr. Nirmal Kumar will continue to closely monitor each stage of expansion to ensure the Company continues to build on the successes of the spring trials.
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.
What a joke this POS penny stock is....
They haven't commercially produced anything in a decade and a half, and now they are "expanding" into Cambodia.
LOL.
Only morons would believe this nonsense....
NEWS: Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Announces Intention to Diversify and Expand its Production Base
Ann Arbor, Michigan--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2024) - Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("the Company" or "Kraig Labs"), announces today that it is pursuing a possible business expansion into Cambodia to support the rapid growth and diversification of its recombinant spider silk production.
The Company's founder and CEO, Kim Thompson, together with a joint team from Kraig Labs and Prodigy Textiles, recently surveyed potential production locations in Cambodia. During the survey the team identified areas of the country which would be suitable for production. An added draw to Cambodia is its proximity to existing Kraig Labs operations, its business-friendly environment, and specific opportunities identified by the team.
With the overwhelming success of the Company's spring production trials and the rapid expansion of production planned for this year, management is working to add additional potential capacity and diversify its production base.
"Cambodia would be a strong complement to our expanding production operations," said Thompson. "Diversification and expansion of our operations has been a core element of our business model. With the success of the spring production trials, we are now in a position to activate this next expansion stage."
Production at the Company's existing facilities is expected to continue to increase exponentially over the next two quarters, with the target of one metric ton before year's end. Thompson and Dr. Nirmal Kumar will continue to closely monitor each stage of expansion to ensure the Company continues to build on the successes of the spring trials.
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?ir@KraigLabs.com
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208912
…………………………………….
Cambodia….. interesting.
KRAIG BIOCRAFT LABORATORIES ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO DIVERSIFY AND EXPAND ITS PRODUCTION BASE
ANN ARBOR, Mich., – May 13, 2024 –Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“the Company” or “Kraig Labs”), announces today that it is pursuing a possible business expansion into Cambodia to support the rapid growth and diversification of its recombinant spider silk production.
The Company’s founder and CEO, Kim Thompson, together with a joint team from Kraig Labs and Prodigy Textiles, recently surveyed potential production locations in Cambodia. During the survey the team identified areas of the country which would be suitable for production. An added draw to Cambodia is its proximity to existing Kraig Labs operations, its business-friendly environment, and specific opportunities identified by the team.
With the overwhelming success of the Company’s spring production trials and the rapid expansion of production planned for this year, management is working to add additional potential capacity and diversify its production base.
“Cambodia would be a strong complement to our expanding production operations,” said Thompson. “Diversification and expansion of our operations has been a core element of our business model. With the success of the spring production trials, we are now in a position to activate this next expansion stage.”
Production at the Company’s existing facilities is expected to continue to increase exponentially over the next two quarters, with the target of one metric ton before year’s end. Thompson and Dr. Nirmal Kumar will continue to closely monitor each stage of expansion to ensure the Company continues to build on the successes of the spring trials.
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
ir@KraigLabs.com
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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!
.
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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