Replies to post #58342 on Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[ZincFinger]

Already definitively debunked there by YT.

THE COMPANY'S [Spiber] OWN WEBPAGE confirms that they CANNOT produce a fiber comparable to spider silk!:

"There is a technical problem of many in spinning technology to fibers of the spider silk fibroin made with biotechnology tip, bringing out a performance comparable to spider silk natural was difficult. We are working to research and development research team of U.S., Europe and Asia is aiming to commercialize the world's first still, but still innovative production method has not been proposed."

"THe article does NOT say that THEIR silk is any stronger than silkworm silk. It ONLY says that ACTUAL spider webs (not their product) is stronger. [[this switching of the discussion to actual spider silk to cause confounding it's properties with their products properties is dead standard for companies with FAILED attempts to recreate spider silk. (Nexia did it. Entogenetics did it. Amsilk does it) Japanese companies have before (more than 5 years ago) produced silkworm silk containing spider silk protein The problem was that the SSP was not incorporated into the structure of the silk and contributed nothing whatsoever to the strength or mechanical properties of the silk. There patent application was abandoned. The problem is that KBLB has exclusive rights to the use of both the piggyBac transposon and zinc fingers in the silkworm and those are the only two tools of genetic modification currently capable of making the EXACT insertin of the SSP into the silkworm silk protein gene which is the ONLY location which will get it incorporated into the structure of the silk.

What this company is doing is what many others have attempted with very poor resutls and there is no indication whatsoever in the artilce that its results were any better: Artifically (mechanically) spinning the fiber from protein produced in organisms than cannot spin it (i.e.: not spiders and not silkworm).

THE FACT THAT THEIR FIRST PRODUCT IS IN DRESS, A USE THAT MAKES NO USE WHATSOEVER OF SPIDER SILK'S MECHANICAL PROPERTIES (because it doesn't HAVE them) SHOULD RING AN ALARM BELL! The fact that they give no figures whatsoever for the mechanical properties should ring it even louder. (Nexia never did. Turned out it was because their fiber was not stronger that conventional (and vastly cheaper) silkworm silk).

OTher companies can add color to silk including by adding spider silk protein with color (even in silk spun by silkworms) but the SSP is not incorporated into the structure"

[SilkRoad]

Until Spiber puts out information and data about their "synthetic spider silk fabric" then nobody should take them too seriously. All they have done is take microorganisms to produce proteins and supposedly spun it into some sort of fiber. But they do not say anything at all about the strength of the fiber they produced. It is difficult to learn anything of value from their website because I do not read japanese. I could mash up spiders in a bowl, spin their bodyparts into a fiber, and then call it a synthetic spider silk. But that would tell you NOTHING about the properties of the fiber I made. Until we see some peer review of what Spiber is doing, I'm not worried about them at all anymore than I am about AmSilk. The bottom line is - everyone is looking for the holy grail. KBLB has it already and continues to improve. Competition will only make KBLB stronger. And the more people that are trying to make spider silk the faster this stuff will go to market because someone on the manufacturing side is going to want to be FIRST! Someone on the end product side is going to want to be FIRST! I wish Spiber and AmSilk all the best, but KBLB is where it's at in my opinion. KBLB's product has been reviewed. Now it just needs to be mass produced for testing and research on the product end of things so that companies know what they are getting and what they can do and create with it. The sooner the samples are made available and production gets moving, the less anyone is going to talk or care about fluffy pipedreams of bacteria..... Silkworm is where it's at. Customization is where it's at. These are my opinions and my opinions only. I'm long on KBLB and I hope we're betting on the right horse. The one thing we know is that there are other horses starting to line up to race on the track. Obviously KBLB is onto something.

[Zenaku]

looks like there are two spibers

spiber inc. in japan
http://www.spiber.jp/

and

spiber in sweden

http://www.spiber.se/

[saintcalvus]

There ya go Diva. Thanks for that. It feels good to have played it safe recently. I have been waiting for this kind of news and the reaction it will cause. Tuesday will interesting.

[golferman]

Have been following this company for 3 years waiting for a good entry point once proven. The competition having already produced a spider silk product will not do well for the future stock price and company valuation.
Will continue to watch and see how it plays out.