Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Australia - Honeybee Silk To Offer New Uses In Industry And Medicine


A partnership between Australian research agency CSIRO and global life science industry supplier, Lonza aims to bring insect silk products to the global market for a range of medical and industrial applications.

Due to its properties such as exceptional strength and toughness, insect silk has found potential uses as composite fibers for the aviation and marine industries.

Medical applications identified include wound repair, drug delivery, and repairing and replacing human tissues such as membranes, ligaments, blood vessels and cartilage.

“CSIRO has identified a broad range of insect silks that could be produced sustainably and used for a wide range of industrial and medical applications,” said CSIRO Business Development and Commercialization General Manager, Cameron Begley.

“We have found ways to convert the bee silk into a range of different forms, from micro-particles and sponges through to spun fibers that can lead to knitted and woven fabrics.”

As part of the agreement, Lonza will provide process development for the recombinant bee silk protein, and work closely with CSIRO to identify further commercial applications and partners for the new insect silk based products.

“Lonza is excited by the potential of insect silks as a relatively untapped route to sustainable and life enhancing products for our current markets and beyond, and it is encouraging to see such strong projects resulting from our Lonza Innovation for Future Technology initiative,” said Allison Haitz, Lonza’s Head of Global Innovation.


Source: CSIRO

No comments:

Post a Comment