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Vietnam tie-up for spider silk venture
Published on Thursday, 18 June 2015
Written by Brett Mathews
MICHIGAN - US biotech firm Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, which develops genetically modified spider silk-based fibres, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a provincial government in Vietnam which outlines a framework for the creation and rearing of transgenic silkworms in Vietnam. The company said the goal of the agreement is the commercialisation of its technology for the technical textile markets. Spider silk is antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, and completely biodegradable.
"The central and provincial government officials in Vietnam with whom we have held extensive meetings share our passion and vision for reinvigorating the silk industry," Kraig Biocraft CEO Kim Thompson said. "Vietnam offers specialised silk infrastructure which is ideal for expanding our operations and its tradition of quality silk production makes it an excellent fit for our transgenic silkworms."
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, a fully reporting biotechnology company, is a leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fibre technologies and claims a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology.
In 2013, the company announced plans to launch its first commercial production program with the hatching of its first batch of 'Monster Silk' silkworms, while last year the company announced that Warwick Mills had created the world's first textile utilising its genetically engineered spider silk, Monster Silk. The pilot scale production facility recently delivered a batch of finished material and continues to produce Monster Silk for use and evaluation; the company says it anticipates significant growth in the capacity and proficiency of its silk production operations moving forward.
The company also recently signed a new cooperative research and development agreement with the University of Notre Dame in a move aimed at accelerating the pace of development of transgenic silkworm technology and – it is hoped - producing stronger and more flexible fibres.
'Monster Silk' was initially developed in 2011 when Kraig mated its transgenic silkworms - which produce recombinant spider silk - with a physically larger commercial strain of the domesticated silkworm. The resulting hybrid silkworms are larger than Kraig's original transgenic silkworms and produce larger recombinant silk cocoons.
