Woven artificial bee silk (CSIRO)
Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the global biotechnology company Lonza have agreed to develop new insect silks for medical and industrial applications. Financial and intellectual property terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Insect silk is a potential component in a range of new products and applications because of properties such as exceptional strength and toughness. Uses for insect silks include composite fibers for the aviation and marine industries and medical applications including drug delivery, wound repair, and repairing and replacing human tissues such as membranes, ligaments, blood vessels and cartilage.
CSIRO’s commercialization and business development chief Cameron Begley says the agency is bringing its experience in biomedical and materials science to the partnership. “We have found ways to convert the bee silk into a range of different forms,” says Begley, “from micro-particles and sponges through to spun fibers that can lead to knitted and woven fabrics.”
Lonza is a biopharmaceutical supplier to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries based in Basel, Switzerland. The company is providing biotechnology and life-science product and service expertise to the partnership and is already developing a process for recombinant bee silk protein.
Read more:
- Researchers, Designer Develop Lighter Sound-Absorbing Fabric
- Biotech Company, Universities Produce Artificial Spider Silk
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