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CHEMICALLY MODIFIED ENGINEERED SPIDER SILK PROTEINS
LATVIAN INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC SYNTHESIS
$KBLB
ADM Reports Third Quarter Earnings
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/7084/000000708423000037/adm-ex991_2023930xq3.htm
The Chinese are making spider silk with silkworms now and Kimberly goes into panic mode.
Fire these! Hire those! Quick! Onboard some synergies!! SMASH THE EMERGENCY RESET BUTTON!!!
Total train wreck.
$KBLB
Bolt Threads Plans SPAC $250 Million Valuation
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/biomaterials-firm-bolt-threads-formerly-a-unicorn-plans-spac-deal-at-a-250-million-valuation/ar-AA1hGeA7
CEO Dan Widmaier talks exclusively with Forbes about going public and the ups and downs of running a synthetic biology firm.
Bolt Threads, a maker of biomaterials including a key ingredient for skincare inspired by spider silk, plans to go public in a SPAC deal that values the one-time unicorn at $250 million.
“We wanted to zig when others zag,” cofounder and CEO Dan Widmaier told Forbes. “If the expectation is that things always go up, that’s ludicrous. Things go up, things go down. The real question is, are you building a product that matters to people over time.”
With the deal, Bolt Threads will merge with blank-check company Golden Arrow Merger Corp., whose CEO is investor Timothy Babich. Babich, a Goldman Sachs alum, founded London-based Fortelus Capital Management in 2009 with a focus on European special situations and subsequently set up his own investment firm, called Nexxus Holdings.
Widmaier, 42, will remain CEO of the new company, to be renamed Bolt Projects Holdings. Cofounder David Breslauer, who has a Ph.D. in bioengineering from UC Berkeley and UCSF, will stay chief technology officer. The deal, which gives Bolt Threads a pro-forma enterprise value of $346 million, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024.
Widmaier said that Bolt Threads, which has raised $334 million as a private company from investors that include Founders Fund and Baillie Gifford, had begun looking for SPAC partners earlier this year to provide the capital it needed to grow. While SPACs have been out of favor and many synthetic biology companies have come on hard times, Widmaier has kept the faith in the powers of the technology to solve some of the world’s most difficult environmental problems.
“We have a big, bold, long-term vision with biomaterials,” he said. “It’s a big vision that’s going to require a lot of trips back to the well to make new products over time on this platform.”
Widmaier, Breslauer and Ethan Mirsky (who has since left the company) founded Bolt Threads in 2009 to crack the code on growing artificial spider silk, something that scientists around the world have been trying to do for decades. Spider silk is known for being extremely soft and strong, and it could make long-lasting, lightweight and sustainable clothes in an industry filled with textiles that harm the environment.
Widmaier studied spider silk during his Ph.D. program in chemistry and chemical biology at UCSF and once kept an office full of giant golden orb weaver spiders spinning webs in hula hoops. But making bio-based spider silk at scale proved difficult, and the Berkeley, California-based company refocused its operations on other biomaterials.
Today, Bolt’s main product is a key, biobased ingredient for skincare and cleansers that it calls b-silk and that was inspired by spider silk. For a time it produced its own line of skincare products under the brand Eighteen B, but it has since switched to a model of selling its ingredients to other brands. Its b-silk is now in brands like Vegamour that are sold at Sephora stores throughout the U.S. It holds a total of 34 patents for b-silk (of a total 49 throughout the company) and has another 131 pending. B-silk is designed to replace silicone elastomers, which are chemicals that don’t degrade over time and comprise a market that Bolt pegs at $4 billion.
Bolt also introduced a biomaterial known as Mylo that’s a “leather” made from mycelieum, the roots of a mushroom. Last year, the first Mylo products from yoga-clothes company Lululemon and fashion designer Stella McCartney hit the market. That product is currently on hold, however, as Bolt focuses on its b-silk.
“In my mind this is a pretty beautiful story,” Widmaier said. “You take something that has a massive problem with persistence and replace it with [something] biobased and biodegradable.”
Widmaier declined to disclose Bolt’s revenue until after it completes its regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Deep tech is hard and synthetic biology is head-bangingly difficult as Bolt Threads and others in the space have learned. Ginkgo Bioworks, which has a vision of creating better tools for biology, has seen its stock crater since going public in a SPAC deal that briefly made all five founders billionaires in September 2021; the company’s market cap is now $3.7 billion. Amyris, the original biofuels company that moved into personal care, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August. And one-time highflier Zymergen imploded four months after its $3 billion IPO, and was subsequently acquired by Ginkgo.
With the deal, Bolt Threads will receive $46 million that it plans to use to gain distribution for b-silk and bring down the costs of its production. Eventually, Widmaier said, he hopes to add additional biomaterials in consumer products, including personal care, fashion, footwear and maybe home goods.
Widmaier has been saying for years that the effort is tough and still in its early stages. “It’s proven to be true,” he said. “But with real examples of real products, maybe we can say that it was worth going through.”
Bolt Threads; Former unicorn
Kraig Biocraft ; Current Eunuch
Oh, well...
$KBLB
Walter Wee KBLB post on Linked in deleted.
As I had posted here, luckily with a screenshot:
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=172877040
Wee's response down the memory hole.
Seems like investor relations is more about restricting relations from investors.
Will Wee and co. be "shaken" out as well?
Stay tuned.
$KBLB
Spider silk fibers spun from transgenic silkworms.
https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/high-strength-and-ultra-tough-whole-spider-silk-fibers-spun-from-transgenic-silkworms/
28 September 2023
High-strength and ultra-tough whole spider silk fibers spun from transgenic silkworms
Unraveled the fundamental factors governing material toughness and strength
The minimum basic structure model of silkworm silk (Fib-H12Fib-L12P252) is proposed The first whole full-length spider silk fiber obtained by…
Full text: https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(23)00421-6
Author
Junpeng Mi, Yizhong Zhou, Sanyuan Ma, Xingping Zhou, Shouying Xu, Yuchen Yang, Yuan Sun, Qingyou Xia, Hongnian Zhu, Suyang Wang, Luyang Tian, Qing Meng
$KBLB
Spiber protein fiber reaches industrial production
https://fr-fashionnetwork-com.translate.goog/news/La-fibre-proteique-spiber-passe-le-cap-de-la-production-industrielle,1559940.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en#courr%C3%A8ges
PUBLISHED ON
today
Sep 26, 2023
The Japanese company Spiber deployed a factory last year in Thailand which will ultimately be able to produce 100,000 tonnes of protein fibers, obtained by fermentation of biomass. While the company intends in the short term to produce polymers in the United States, its innovative material is at the heart of a line and a London pop-up store from the outdoor brand Goldwin.
In search of responsible materials, the Japanese brand intends to increase the share of “Brewed Protein” in its collections to 10% by 2030. The research partnership started eight years ago by Spiber and Goldwin had already produced t-shirts, jackets and sweaters, but in quantities reduced by the initial production capacities of this material.
“Our process is very close to brewing beer, with a similar barrel system,” Kenji Higashi, executive vice president of Spiber Europe and director of sustainability at Spiber, tells FashionNetwork.com. “We studied the DNA of thousands of natural elements, to identify which ones give this or that type of polymers once brought into contact with the bacteria that we have developed for this transformation.”
If Spiber was born with the idea of ??producing an alternative to spider silk, to obtain light but strong clothing, the process turns out to be more versatile than expected. The specialist thus indicates that it can obtain spun fibers providing a softness approaching that of cashmere, or offering thermal and breathable properties close to wool. The materials obtained can also be possible alternatives to fur and leather, without going through breeding.
The Thai Spiber factory currently works with sugarcane biomass, a very widespread crop in the region. “Our objective is to quickly move away from it, because this culture requires a lot of land, water and chemicals, to only work with agricultural waste,” explains Kenji Higashi, who points out that the polymers obtained in Thailand are for hour shipped to Japan to be spun.
This Thai site would only be a step before a much larger unit in preparation in Iowa, in the United States, on the site of the ADM agricultural group with which Spiber began a partnership in 2020. Enough to open access to co-products of the local corn industry, with quantities of products much higher than those deployed in Thailand. The launch date of this future site has not yet been determined.
In the meantime, to mark the transition to a new scale of Spiber technology, Goldwin is offering a pop-up store in London on September 29 and 30. The opportunity to present pieces from the fall-winter 2023/24 collection using this technology, such as a coat (1,500 euros), a rain jacket (1,200 euros) and tapered pants (700 euros). Added to these is a denim jacket (800 euros), where a presence of 4% of stirred proteins transforms the touch.
With 300 employees, the Spiber company had already stood out for its collaborations with the brands Pangaia, Yuima Nakazato and especially The North Face , with which an outdoor jacket “Moon Parka” was produced in 2015, before returning under an improved form at the end of 2019.
$KBLB
The future is coming soon, but later.....
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7107439605963988992/
lol
$KBLB
"Kraig Labs was prepared for this storm"
Unlike the last one?
Pretty obvious what really happened.
Thanks for telling us without telling us, Benny.
"environmental tolerance"
lmao
$KBLB
Shorty getting pole-shoved into oblivion.
YOKE, designed by designer Norio Terada, will release 8 types of knitwear and denim wear using Brewed Protein™ fiber this winter.
https://prtimes-jp.translate.goog/main/html/rd/p/000000014.000021214.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en
Spiber Inc.
July 12, 2023 16:45
A total of 8 types of knitwear, 2 types of denim wear (jacket, trousers), short-sleeved/long-sleeved T-shirt, and sweatshirt from Tokyo's designer brand "YOKE" using Brewed Protein™ fiber developed by our company. The wear will be released in Japan and overseas in January next year as part of the Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
This is the first time we have worked with YOKE We plan to continue to consider using it in our products.
In the future, we will further promote material development and production, and expand sales channels to many brands and companies.In addition, like YOKE, designers themselves are inspired to say, "I want to make products using this material." We will promote the unique value and appeal of Brewed Protein™ fiber so that you can feel the interest and interest.
YOKE Designer | Comment from Norio Terada
I knew about Spiber from 5 or 6 years ago, but when I heard about it in early March this year, I was once again fascinated by the material, and immediately decided to use it for the SS24 season products. Up until now, I have been skeptical about materials that claim to be sustainable because I felt they had a business side to them. The main reason was that I thought that I would be happy if I could be involved in that.
As a material, the amount is still small, but we believe that as a brand, we can create something wonderful as a product, first get people interested in the design, and then let them know about the material, and create a wider spread. I also make it elaborate. In the future, I would like to increase the variety of colors, try mixing with different materials, and use it in a variety of products.
YOKE
The brand name, YOKE, means "to connect", "bond", and "switch cloth for clothes".
The brand started in 2018AW with the concept of "connecting".
"Things connect people, people connect people, people connect things"
Dozens of people are involved in the process of making one piece of clothing, from raw materials to thread to fabric to cutting to sewing to finishing, and the work is connected to complete the clothes. I am strongly aware of this, and I try to make things within my own reach, from design to production. In addition, it also contains the desire that the brand's items will be connected to various people. We are particular about materials and patterns, and propose sophisticated items that can be worn by her unisex, adding a contemporary essence to standard items.
YOKE Designer | Norio Terada Profile
After graduating from the Bunka Fashion College design course, he experienced design and production management at several companies such as domestic brands and select shops.In 2016, he became independent and started the brand from 2018AW.
Brewed Protein™ material
Spiber's Brewed Protein™ material is produced by a microbial fermentation process using plant-derived biomass as a raw material and can be used in a variety of applications. Brewed Protein™ fibers spun from Brewed Protein™ polymers can be processed into filament yarns with a silky sheen and delicacy, as well as spun yarns such as cashmere with a fine and smooth feel and wool with excellent bulk. can do. As the scale of production of this fiber expands, various environmental risks have been pointed out in textile applications for the apparel industry, which the company has initially focused on. Significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and less land and water use when compared to cashmere fiber. It is expected to contribute to solving the problem of microplastic emissions from petroleum-derived products, and is expected to be a next-generation material that can provide solutions to replace conventional animal-derived, plant-derived, and synthetic materials.
Spiber Inc.
A bio-venture that develops and produces structural protein "Brewed Protein™ material". Founded in September 2007. Now Spiber's first mass production plant in Rayong, Thailand, has begun production of his Brewed Protein™ polymers and will be ramping up in stages. In addition, we are building a new mass production system with his partner ADM in Iowa, USA, and are preparing for launch.
Spiber website: https://spiber.inc
Spiber Sustainability web page: https://spiber.inc/sustainability/
$KBLB
Thanks, I hadn't seen that had changed.
If your going to have unlimited insulting
then everyone should get unlimited blocks/ignores.
No one, coming here for legitimate discourse should have to navigate the trolls for it.
Also, add a thumbs down if it's going to be going this way anyway.
Amazing stuff!
Meanwhile, KBLB (The Washington Generals of biotech), are going "intentionally slow" according to their cool-kids-only, chock-full-o-bullshit shareholder letter.
Is this any way to run an airline?
You Bet It Is!
Certified genius!
oh well
$KBLB
EMERGING ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS MENSWEAR BRANDS CAVIA AND YOUNG N SANG SHOWCASE SPIBER’S BREWED PROTEIN™ MATERIALS
https://textilevaluechain.in/news-insights/emerging-environmentally-conscious-menswear-brands-cavia-and-young-n-sang-showcase-spibers-brewed-protein-materials/
Jun 10, 2023 | Fibres and Yarns, News & Insights
Emerging environmentally-conscious menswear brands Cavia and young n sang showcase Spiber’s Brewed Protein™ materials
Yamagata, Japan – Spiber’s Brewed Protein fiber has been chosen as a featured material by Kering’s Material Innovation Lab (MIL) and Fondazione Pitti Discovery for the highly anticipated 7th edition of “S|Style sustainable style.” Fondazione Pitti Discovery has been drawing the attention of esteemed international buyers and media representatives, and was curated by L’Officiel Italia journalist Giorgia Cantarini. This renowned exhibition brings
together ten handpicked emerging brands which exemplify a harmonious blend of social consciousness and environmental responsibility while maintaining creativity and design.
Among the carefully selected brands, young n sang, a South Korean menswear label known for its exceptional hand weaving techniques, and Cavia, an Italian brand based in Milan celebrated for repurposing and upcycling garments, have joined the movement to transform society and the fashion industry towards a more sustainable future. Both brands have unveiled exclusive collections crafted from Brewed Protein fibers for the first time.
“The Brewed Protein materials created by Spiber offer a strong example of what technology can do to reduce the impact of the fashion industry on the environment by replacing traditional petrochemical-based materials and production methods with innovative and bio-based solutions,” says Giorgia Cantarini, Senior Fashion Editor at L’Officiel Italia, Talent Scouter and Curator of S|Style x Pitti Immagine. “I believe Spiber is initiating a revolution that can lead to reducing climate change. The more we choose these types of solutions, the more we decrease their price in the market, which makes them available for adoption by smaller and emerging brands. My hope is that we will navigate the future of fashion with more responsible action. Bigger corporations should invest in innovation and technology in order to reduce all sorts of waste, from water to chemicals, natural resources, and animal exploitation.”
The Brewed Protein and cashmere blended bulky yarn, when plied together, is “super soft and workable, and the results and hand feeling are amazing,” says Martina Boero, Founder and Fashion & Graphic Designer of Cavia. “My hope and vision for material innovation and the apparel industry is to make this yarn in different thicknesses, as it’s very soft and light. It would be amazing to have it bulkier.”
The exceptional collections were crafted with meticulous attention to detail using Brewed Protein fibers—proprietary lab-grown and circular protein materials produced through microbial fermentation—and will be showcased at Sala delle Nazioni from June 13th to 16th. A standout moment during the event will be the much-anticipated fashion show featuring the S|Style collections, scheduled to take place on June 14th at 3pm.
The inclusion of Brewed Protein fibers in the exhibition collections of these rising brands heralds a new era of responsible yet unique style and sets a remarkable precedent for industry-wide adoption.
Cashmere Blended Bulky Yarn
Composition: 50% Brewed Protein™ fiber, 50% cashmere
Yarn count: 2/18
$KBLB
Pee-yoo these are some nasty slam dumps.
Ultimately, the fault of internet opinions.
Oh well.
$KBLB
Very nice!
Now if only Kim could make something other than himself rich.
Oh well
$KBLB
Firm spins spider silk–cotton composite yarn
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ckUZvL1t-wYJ:https://www.ecotextile.com/2023053030748/materials-production-news/firm-spins-spider-silk-cotton-composite-yarn.html&cd=17&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Published: 30 May 2023
ANN ARBOR – US research firm Kraig Labs has spun its first composite bio-engineered spider silk and Pima cotton yarn as it looks to advance the genetics and robustness of its technology for future textile manufacture.
The production of these bio-engineered yarns, first designed in late 2022, has allowed the company to improve the silk cutting, washing, and opening of the new composite yarns – ready for in-house scale-up.
Robust, bio-engineered silk fibres have been put forward as a candidate to replace synthetic textile fibres in future.
Kraig Labs also says it now has a complete set of processing steps and protocols that improve silk staple fibre separation and alignment, which are needed to increase the overall quality and uniformity of the new composite silk–cotton yarns.
To enable this quality improvement, it invested in new production equipment for the in-house production of silk staple fibres so that cocoons can be reeled into raw silk before the silk can be blended and spun with other fibres.
“We have taken the detailed technical analysis from the spinning of the first yarn and revamped our staple fibre processing with the guidance and advice of top experts here in the US,” said Kim Thompson, founder, and CEO of Kraig Labs. “We believe that perfecting the processing of the fibres and yarns which will, in turn, create fabrics and garments of the highest quality is critical for the launch of our joint venture apparel brand, SpydaSilk.
Spydasilk owners are Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., Singapore-based trading firm Kings Golden Harvest and its streetwear subsidiary M the Movement. Kriag also partners with Prodigy Textiles in Quang Nam, Vietnam, which operates from a historical silk breeding facility.
The company said in a press statement that it will have ‘more announcements’ shortly, adding that the recombinant research it started in late 2022 with its first cross-hybrids: blending its spider silk biotechnology with commercial silkworm strains, has now expanded to nearly a dozen strains of robust production silkworm lines.
“These strains were sourced from around the world and selected for their strong genetic background and cocoon performance. With these additional strains in-house, we are now starting to crossbreed our spider silk transgenes into these various commercial lines.
“Over the next several months, we expect to create enough unique strains of spider silk transgenics to implement a multi-line ‘double hybrid’ production system,” said Thompson.
The company notes renewed interest from the U.S. Department of Defense for the domestic production of bio-engineered materials and manufacturing technologies, saying it’s also been approached by the Ministry of Defense from another US ally nation.
“They requested samples of our recombinant spider silk materials for evaluation in protective textile applications,” he said.
Spider silk is known to have the highest tensile strength of any natural fibre on the planet and in addition to military applications for bio-engineered silk fabrics, the research has garnered interest from suppliers of outdoor clothing and performance textiles where in theory it could replace fossil fuel derived synthetics.
$KBLB
Not a Press Release, A "letter to shareholders".
He knew how bad this word salad garbage is and didn't release it on any newswires.
"SHHH! This is just between us cool kids!" lol
"Everything is planned to be going to be going as planned!"
Oh well
$KBLB
The $40K vehicle is a favorite.
What "slam dunk" in the nether-regions of investors!
God knows, he needs a "company" vehicle!
Maybe he has to put his briefcase full of "Coming Soon" PR's into something?
What a sham!
"Thank you, sir! May I have another?", say the investors.
Oh well
$KBLB
If only Kim was more like "M".
M the Moved-away is "celebrating" other similar projects.
https://robbreport.com.my/2023/05/10/a-unique-two-day-adventure-sees-johnnie-walker-blue-label-on-water-and-celebrating-eco-conscious-fashion/
A Unique Two-Day Adventure Sees Johnnie Walker Blue Label On Water And Celebrating Eco-Conscious Fashion
Kenneth Tan
10 May, 2023
Spider silk erectile nerve reconstruction in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a first-in-men feasibility analysis
So that's what this is all about? Eh Kim?
lmao
2023 May 17
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37195313/
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the safety and feasibility of spider silk interposition for erectile nerve reconstruction in patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy (RARP).
$KBLB
No "planned sales" by Kim dropped yet.
HMMM.... BuLlIsH??????
maybe....
That $40K """company vehicle"" investors are paying for must need gas by now.
Oh well
$KBLB
Where'd the screener go?
Let's see after dum-dum hour is over.
May punch out and take multi-grands.
I'd stay in but never underestimate Kim's ability to kick investors in the croakies.
Oh well
$KBLB
Some of us get it.
Kim can state that over and over, because of the up to 180 days "consultation period" clause.
Dollar-signs in the eyes do this.
Oh well
$KBLB
Walter Wee
Chief Operations Officer at KINGS Group Chief Operations Officer at KINGS Group
11mo •
KINGS Group is once again proud to announce that our commercial fashion high end pieces are in process and ready to anticipate a Limited Edition launch soon.
The teams have been working hard in the USA, Vietnam and Singapore to realise this revolutionary material into a wearable fashion statement.
Kudos to the SPYDASILK team! A special thanks to all our partners and associates. NASDAQ here we come!
Looking forward to exciting the market! Amazing achievement!
Stephen B
Fixture Design at Dietec
7mo
Walter Wee Can't hardly wait until that exciting company gets off the ground. Any updates?
Reply
Walter Wee
Author
Chief Operations Officer at KINGS Group
7mo
Stephen B really soon.....
Scouts honor! lol
Oh well.
$KBLB
RPI Researchers To Develop New Market for Farm Waste
https://www.newswise.com/articles/rpi-researchers-to-develop-new-market-for-farm-waste
11-May-2023 8:05 AM EDT, by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
favorite_border
Newswise: RPI Researchers To Develop New Market for Farm Waste
Credit: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Mattheos Koffas
Newswise — There are more than 80,000 sheep and lambs living on over 2,000 farms in New York State. Their wool has many uses including clothing, carpets, furniture, bedding, insulators, fertilizers, and more. However, about 10-15% of wool is wasted during the sorting and cleaning processes. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are aiming to turn that waste into a new profit source for farmers, and produce an eco-conscious, high-performance yarn in the process.
Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the New York Farm Viability Institute, the research team will combine waste wool with hemp and incorporate artificial spider silk to produce a superior yarn with widespread applications. The Rensselaer researchers will collaborate with State University of New York at Morrisville, Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill in Greenwich, and Propel, LLC to demonstrate a profitable and verifiable pathway for New York farmers to get their hemp and wool into high-value products.
Hemp is a naturally pest-resistant, high-yield crop that produces durable, long-lasting, and sustainable textiles, with about 700 growers statewide.
“Hemp and flax are considered two of the most durable fibers, but you can grow three times as much hemp as flax on the same amount of land,” explains Dan Walczyk, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Manufacturing Innovation Center. “Another benefit is that hemp consumes about three times as much carbon dioxide per acre as flax.”
Infusing the wool/hemp combination with artificial spider silk will impart increased strength and resilience to the fiber. Helen Zha, assistant professor in the Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Matteos Koffas, Dorothy and Fred Chau '71 Career Development Constellation Professor in Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering, engineer microorganisms that produce artificial silk proteins. Zha and Koffas are both members of Rensselaer's Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS).
“Pound for pound, silk can be stronger than steel and tougher than Kevlar,” said Zha. “Using engineered microorganisms to create well-defined recombinant silk fibroin-like proteins allows flexibility and scalability while benefiting from the advantageous features of natural silk.”
“We will ultimately produce yarns with enhanced mechanical performance, flame retardancy, luster, and lux hand feel,” said Koffas.
Walczyk and Johnson Samuel, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering, will develop new manufacturing processes for the fibers. On top of producing a superior product, the research will prove market viability to producers and manufacturers.
“Farmers will not grow hemp without a market and guaranteed return on investment,” said Samuel. “Plus, potential manufacturers will not use hemp or hemp/wool yarns without guaranteed material specifications and a supply chain. Our research will overcome these obstacles.”
The state of New York is uniquely positioned for this project. First, the team will partner with seven farmers across the state to produce hemp and wool. Second, they will take advantage of a patent-pending automatic decorticator that separates fiber from hurd in a stalk of hemp without damage that was produced at Rensselaer. Third, as previously mentioned, the project will involve an infusion of artificial spider silk engineered at Rensselaer. Finally, New York has one of the very few carding and spinning mills in the United States that produces worsted-spun yarn: Battenkill Fibers, which will prepare the wool for processing.
Mary Jeanne Packer, president and founder of Battenkill Fibers, said, “There’s really nowhere else in the United States besides New York’s Hudson Valley where sustainably producing farm to fashion textiles is a possibility. We are all truly in a unique position to bring great benefit to our state’s farmers, designers, and manufacturers through the results of this project."
Ultimately, the project will inform the agricultural community and the New York State government on how to support and establish this new agricultural market.
“While industrial hemp grown for fiber has many uses, New York’s farmers will need a market they can count on before growing substantial amounts of the crop,” said New York State Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, chair of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture. “RPI’s pioneering research and development in this area is yielding promising results for both textiles and building materials. Combining waste wool with hemp to create stronger, sustainable yarn will allow farmers to diversify their crops, while meeting the increasing consumer demand for more eco-friendly products. I applaud their efforts.”
“I am delighted that top engineers from different disciplines are working together with local farmers and industry to bring economic and environmental benefits to New York state,” said Shekhar Garde, dean of Rensselaer’s School of Engineering. “Ultimately, we will all benefit from a superior product.”
$KBLB
AFRL eyes development of next-generation textile for DAF uniforms
https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3393575/afrl-eyes-development-of-next-generation-textile-for-daf-uniforms/
Published May 12, 2023
By Gail L. Forbes
Air Force Research Laboratory
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, has partnered with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Cornell University, Ohio-based contractor UES, Inc. and the Palmer Muskox Farm in Palmer, Alaska to explore the use of synthetic muskox wool keratin fibers in textiles for military-grade uniforms. The International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research, or ICE-PPR, a collaboration between the United States and various partner nations to improve defense and security capabilities in the Arctic region, inspired nascent research efforts, while the Office of Naval Research, AFRL chief scientists and AFRL Core Programs supplied funding for the project.
Initial research conducted in AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and the 711th Human Performance Wing indicates that raw muskox wool fibers — a material also known by the indigenous term qiviut — are preferred for their ability to lend enhanced thermal insulating properties to textiles. When combined with other natural or synthetic polymers such as nylon through a process called electrospinning, qiviut can potentially be used to create an alternative textile that is lighter, stronger and more environmentally sustainable than the merino wool cold-weather garments traditionally fielded to Airmen and Guardians for Arctic-based missions.
More recently, researchers in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate’s Biomaterials branch have set their sights on recreating muskox wool keratin fibers in the lab using synthetic biology to address theoretical supply chain needs, prioritize U.S.-based textile manufacturing and promote biotechnology research initiatives in the U.S.
“There is a need for uniform improvement when it comes to the Arctic strategy,” said Dr. Nancy Kelley-Loughnane, research team lead in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate’s Biomaterials branch. “When pilots conduct cold-climate missions in Arctic spaces such as Alaska, they might need to land in water, on frozen tundra, on ice. There are a multitude of possibilities. So, we need that has multiple properties, something that does more than just keep us warm in the event of unplanned isolation.”
The ideal cold-weather textile would offer thermal insulating, quick-drying and moisture-wicking properties and would remain reasonably lightweight in the event of water immersion, said Dr. Mark Tyler Nelson, research biomedical engineer in the 711th Human Performance Wing.
Dr. Heather Jay Huson, animal geneticist and associate professor at Cornell University, stands at pasture with two adult muskoxen at the Palmer Muskox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. Huson has humanely collected biological DNA samples from a herd of domesticated muskoxen housed at the farm for her own research purposes for more than 15 years. Through a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Huson provided samples of raw muskox wool to researchers in AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, who tested the material to establish that its thermal insulating properties are comparable to merino wool. Researchers in AFRL’s Biomaterials branch and the 711th Human Performance Wing are currently testing a process known as electrospinning to blend synthetic muskox wool keratins with preexisting polymer materials, such as nylon, to create an alternative textile that is lighter, more breathable, and more environmentally sustainable for future use in U.S. Department of the Air Force uniforms. (Courtesy photo/ Cornell University)
AFRL eyes development of next-generation textile for DAF uniforms
Dr. Heather Jay Huson, animal geneticist and associate professor at Cornell University, stands at pasture with two adult muskoxen at the Palmer Muskox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. Huson has humanely collected biological DNA samples from a herd of domesticated muskoxen housed at the farm for her own research purposes for more than 15 years. Through a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Huson provided samples of raw muskox wool to researchers in AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, who tested the material to establish that its thermal insulating properties are comparable to merino wool. Researchers in AFRL’s Biomaterials branch and the 711th Human Performance Wing are currently testing a process known as electrospinning to blend synthetic muskox wool keratins with preexisting polymer materials, such as nylon, to create an alternative textile that is lighter, more breathable, and more environmentally sustainable for future use in U.S. Department of the Air Force uniforms. (Courtesy photo/ Cornell University)
. DNA samples collected from muskoxen at the farm have been crucial to enabling research recently conducted in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and the 711th Human Performance Wing on the viability of raw muskox wool fiber and synthetic muskox wool keratins for use in cold-weather military-grade textiles. Initial research indicates that raw muskox wool fibers — a material also known by the indigenous term qiviut — are preferred for their ability to lend enhanced thermal insulating properties to clothing. Muskoxen are genetically similar to goats and are one of very few prehistoric animals still in existence today, though they became extirpated, or virtually extinct, in Alaska by 1920. Relocation efforts brought muskoxen herds back to Alaska in the 1930s. The species thrives in the extremely cold and dry climate of the high Arctic. (Courtesy photo / Cornell University)
AFRL eyes development of next-generation textile for DAF uniforms
A trio of domesticated muskoxen stand at pasture at the Palmer Muskox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. DNA samples collected from muskoxen at the farm have been crucial to enabling research recently conducted in the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL’s, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and the 711th Human Performance Wing on the viability of raw muskox wool fiber and synthetic muskox wool keratins for use in cold-weather military-grade textiles. Initial research indicates that raw muskox wool fibers — a material also known by the indigenous term qiviut — are preferred for their ability to lend enhanced thermal insulating properties to clothing. Muskoxen are genetically similar to goats and are one of very few prehistoric animals still in existence today, though they became extirpated, or virtually extinct, in Alaska by 1920. Relocation efforts brought muskoxen herds back to Alaska in the 1930s. The species thrives in the extremely cold and dry climate of the high Arctic. (Courtesy photo / Cornell University)
. While materials such as merino wool and goose down have typically been used to insulate cold-weather garments, Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, researchers have recently begun to explore muskox wool fibers as an alternative source for thermal-insulating textiles for military uniforms. However, a raw muskox wool supply chain will be difficult to come by, as the average Alaskan muskox typically only produces one offspring every one to three years. Because it is not practical to breed these animals solely for their wool, researchers in AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate have set their sights on recreating muskox wool keratin fibers in the lab using synthetic biology to address theoretical supply chain needs, prioritize U.S.-based textile manufacturing and promote biotechnology research initiatives in the United States. (Courtesy photo / Cornell University)
AFRL eyes development of next-generation textile for DAF uniforms
A domesticated adult muskox rests in its pasture at the Palmer Muskox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. While materials such as merino wool and goose down have typically been used to insulate cold-weather garments, Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, researchers have recently begun to explore muskox wool fibers as an alternative source for thermal-insulating textiles for military uniforms. However, a raw muskox wool supply chain will be difficult to come by, as the average Alaskan muskox typically only produces one offspring every one to three years. Because it is not practical to breed these animals solely for their wool, researchers in AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate have set their sights on recreating muskox wool keratin fibers in the lab using synthetic biology to address theoretical supply chain needs, prioritize U.S.-based textile manufacturing and promote biotechnology research initiatives in the United States. (Courtesy photo / Cornell University)
While more traditional materials such as merino wool and goose down have typically been used to insulate cold-weather garments, they raise a variety of concerns about practicality and sustainability, Nelson said.
“Most of the cold-weather garments that the United States military uses are simply not graded to a level as cold as the Arctic might get,” Nelson said. “For a while, goose down filler was sort of the gold standard in terms of providing warmth, but there are a lot of ethical concerns surrounding its utilization. It is also ineffective if it gets wet. The other common alternative, merino, dominates the wool industry, but it’s expensive.”
Merino wool is costly in part because the vast majority — roughly 81% — is imported to the United States from Australia, said Dr. Braden Li, materials science engineer and textile expert in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, or AFLCMC. Merino also becomes impracticably heavy when wet, Li said.
“Traditionally, the gear that is fielded to our pilots and aircrew is not fitting the bill just yet,” Li said. “It just is not designed to work in an Arctic environment. Yes, it might keep you warm, but it’s so bulky and cumbersome.”
It is tricky to balance all of the desired properties in a cold-weather military-grade textile, Li added.
“We don’t want the Airmen so weighted down that they can’t go anywhere,” Li said. “We want the fabric to be breathable because if they start sweating in all of this heavy clothing, as soon as they take it off and get hit with an Arctic chill, they can get frostbite, maybe even freeze to death. So, it’s a matter of balancing thermal insulation with sufficient weight, dexterity and breathability. Muskox wool keratin has the potential to allow us to create a textile that offers all of those properties.”
Another aspect of the project that researchers are considering is how to keep textile production for military uniforms in the United States to reduce reliance on foreign nations, as most industrial textile manufacturing has long since moved overseas, Li said.
In the event of potential conflict, the U.S. government will require access to a steady, controllable domestic textile supply chain in order to fulfill both military and civilian clothing needs. The Berry Amendment, originally passed by Congress in 1941 as part of the Appropriations Act, became permanent in 1994 and required the DOD to give preference in procurement to items produced in the United States, particularly clothing and fabrics, according to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition website.
While qiviut shows strong potential to fill in as an alternative textile to help meet future DAF uniform needs, it, like merino, is expensive to source, and due to limited herds, an adequate supply chain of domestic muskoxen wool is not feasible.
“In the wild, an Alaskan muskox only produces maybe one offspring every one to three years — perhaps more on a domesticated farm,” said Dr. Heather Jay Huson, animal geneticist and associate professor in Cornell University’s Department of Animal Science.
Huson has collected biological DNA samples from a herd of domesticated muskoxen housed at the Palmer Muskox Farm for her own research for more than 15 years. Through a contract with AFRL, Huson provided samples of raw muskox wool to researchers in the Biomaterials branch, who tested the material to establish that its thermal insulating properties are analogous to merino.
“It is not a secret that when you compare qiviut to merino sheep’s wool, muskoxen have finer, stronger fiber that is at least as warm, if not warmer, than merino, which makes it an ideal cold-weather material,” Huson said. “But muskoxen populations are limited.”
Resources and access provided by the Palmer Muskox Farm and its executive director Mark Austin have been critical in terms of enabling the research, Kelley-Loughnane said.
The care and keeping of domesticated herds of muskoxen also requires access to ample land mass in the cold, dry, high Arctic climate, the species’ natural habitat, said Dr. Blake Stamps, Bioinformatics lead and research biological scientist in the Biomaterials branch.
“We are not going to be able to breed and feed these animals just to make military uniforms — that is just not practical,” Kelley-Loughnane said. “So, eventually, the question became: well, can we manufacture this product ourselves — and can we do so practically, affordably, sustainably, with a good return on investment for the Department of the Air Force?”
That’s where synthetic biology comes into play, Stamps said.
The research team’s focus ultimately shifted to how they might recreate a synthetic version of qiviut — a material that could essentially mimic all the preferred qualities of natural muskox wool fibers — by recombinantly expressing muskox fiber proteins in E. coli bacteria.
“It’s a fermentation process, similar to brewing beer,” Stamps said. “Our scientist essentially isolated the keratin gene, one of the structural components of that muskox fiber, and then another scientist took that and stuck it into a bacterium, and E. coli is making it now. We can ferment synthetic muskox keratin fiber in bacteria, purify it, and get that material over to the electrospinning scientists [in the 711th Human Performance Wing].”
Researchers can potentially use the electrospinning process to tinker with the properties of the synthetic material, combining it with other preexisting polymers such as nylon, to arrive at a preferred textile product that meets specifications for warmth, weight, dexterity and breathability, Stamps said.
The first step in this process was to complete genetic sequencing on a series of approximately 20 blood and saliva DNA samples that Huson obtained humanely from the muskoxen at the Palmer Farm to create a complete genome for the muskox species, said Dr. Dominique Wagner, computational research scientist in AFRL’s Biomaterials branch.
Wagner used the DNA samples that Huson supplied to create a genetic reference assembly, or digital representative example of a specific species’ set of genes. Wagner’s reference assembly was created by piecing together the genetic sequences from a single muskox that was sequenced at much greater depth than the other 19 animals to make a muskox genome that was as continuous and complete as possible.
Next, Wagner singled out the specific keratin and keratin-associated proteins that would be most desirable in a synthetic material.
“In the Muskox genome, there are more than 90 keratin and keratin-associated proteins associated with fiber production,” Wagner said. “But the six or eight of those that we are most interested in are the ones associated with the creation of the thinness of the fiber. The thinner the fiber, the better the thermal properties are, the more insulating it is.”
Wagner supplied this genetic information to Research Scientist Dr. Victor Roman in the Biomaterials branch, who used molecular tools such as Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, and standard cloning techniques to insert a specific piece of genetic information into what is known as a bacterial expression vector — in this case, E. coli bacteria.
“Once we express the keratins in the bacteria, we use a method called affinity purification, which allows you to isolate just the proteins you want that the bacteria are producing,” Roman explained. “It’s like going fishing. We use a particular bait, in this case nickel beads, because these keratins have a polyhistidine tag [an?amino acid?motif in?proteins] that binds to the nickel beads — and you use them to fish out the keratin from bacterial lysates.”
From there, Roman said, it is simply a matter of cleaning up the keratin proteins and handing off the purified material, now in a powder form, to Nelson and his team in the 711th Human Performance Wing to begin experimenting with the electrospinning process.
“We’re using biology as inspiration, digitizing that biology and then taking it back into the lab and making it into something new, or better,” Stamps said. “One of the thoughts is that perhaps we can use electrospinning to coat preexisting nylon fiber with muskox keratin as a stronger, protective shell. Then, what you could potentially wind up with is this bio-enhanced nylon fiber that we can feed into the military uniform process.”
Dr. Pat Dennis, senior research biologist in the Biomaterials branch who has helped oversee the project, said that his team’s well-balanced partnership with the AFLCMC, Cornell University and the 711th Human Performance Wing has resulted in virtually no duplication of efforts.
“It’s very complementary, what we do, and there’s very little overlap,” Dennis said. “We each have our own distinct roles in making this research happen. It’s been such a huge win for us to have such a cooperative group, spanning multiple directorates and academia, all of whom are so willing to share materials and knowledge and expertise.”
The team unanimously agreed that potential future next steps involve scaling up keratin protein production in the lab and eventually partnering with the textile industry.
“We can do all of the validation on a small scale here,” Roman noted. “And then once we are at a point where we can say, yeah, we can produce large amounts of keratins, then the plan is to partner up with industry and see how they can implement this keratin material into their workflow, in the creation of a new, novel textile with improved features.”
Right now, Stamps said, the creation of synthetic muskox keratin proteins is done in small flasks in the lab, but his team is getting closer to having the capacity to produce the material in larger vessels in industrial-sized amounts.
“Then we have to figure out how to optimize the process and ultimately engage with an industrial partner who wants to actually make it,” Stamps added.
The team’s hope is to eventually arrive at a next-generation textile that not only checks all of the boxes in terms of superior quality and accessibility but also benefits the environment, Kelley-Loughnane said.
“The way we obtain textiles, and the ways in which we currently make clothes, aren’t always very sustainable,” Kelley-Loughnane noted. “Current practices require the use of excess chemicals and petroleum-based products. We are working to find a way to change that.”
Muskoxen, which are more genetically similar to goats than cattle, are one of very few prehistoric animals still in existence today, Huson said, but they became extirpated, or virtually extinct, in Alaska by 1920.
In 1930, relocation efforts brought a small group of 34 muskoxen by boat from East Greenland to Nunivak Island, a permafrost-covered volcanic island about 30 miles offshore from Alaska, where they were released and allowed to breed naturally, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. From there, a number of these animals were transported to Alaska, where they continued to thrive, although in recent years, their numbers have dwindled somewhat.
The muskoxen wool fiber and keratin protein research has the potential to serve as what Stamps refers to as “bioinspiration,” or a mere jumping-off point for future inquiry into the production of next-generation fabrics and fibers. Stamps’ research team is in the process of requesting additional funding to expand their exploration of how other Arctic animals, such as penguins, polar bears, and Arctic goats, keep themselves warm.
Similar to muskoxen, the hair of polar bears is medullated, or hollow, which plays a role in keeping the animals warm. Scientists are interested in exploring that factor as a potential contributor to the creation of future novel thermal insulating textiles, Dennis said.
“I’m a big fan of biology for its complexity,” Dennis said. “I think that’s probably why we’re all doing this. It’s a field that is just unparalleled in its intricacy. While this research is still in a very early state, what I am most excited about is its potential to inform the next generation of insulative materials that can actually contribute to solving a problem.”
Huson called her partnership with AFRL enlightening.
“It has been really eye-opening for me, as someone who has been conducting animal genetic research for so many years, to see any branch of the military interested in doing biological research like this,” Huson said. “That the Department of the Air Force, and AFRL, are aware of the potential benefits it offers for the future — that’s really exciting.”
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Slam dunk? KBLB is 'Washington Generals' of biotech.
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This Ben?
July 1 2022