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
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