QYResearch: Global Synthetic Spider Silk Industry 2017 Market Research Report Overview
Spider silk is among the strongest known biomaterials. It is the silk used for the framework of the web and it is used to catch the spider if it falls. As such, it is stronger and much more flexible than KEVLAR©. Due to its incredible mechanical properties, spider silk is being considered for use as a new biomaterial for drug delivery and tendon and ligament replacement/repair, as well as athletic gear, military applications, airbags, and tire cords. However, spiders cannot be farmed for their silk as they are cannibalistic and territorial. The most reasonable alternative for producing spider silk fibers is to utilize genetic engineering to produce the proteins in a foreign host and then spin fibers from the synthetic protein.
Spider silks possess nature's most exceptional mechanical properties, with unrivalled extensibility and high tensile strength. All of these excellent properties make spider silks a desirable material for many applications in several different fields. However, spiders can’t be farmed. Therefore, methods of mass-producing Synthetic Spider Silk have been developed.
Companies and institutes have dedicated in the research of synthesis spider silks for many years. And several technologies have been proposed, such as modified silkworm, modified yeast fermentation, modified E. Coli fermentation, transgenic alfalfa, transgenic goat, ant others. The common ground of those technologies is that specific sequences of spider silk DNA are inserted in a foreign host to product spider silk protein and then spin fibers from the synthetic protein. Among them, the first three technologies are proven viable. Until now, there are still two barriers have stymied production. These barriers are the inability to form these proteins into a spider silk fiber with the desired mechanical characteristics, and to do this cost effectively.
At present, only four companies have realized the commercial production, Bolt Threads, Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Spiber and AMSilk. All of them cooperate closely with the downstream companies to launch high-performance products. The downstream players including North Face, Adidas, Lexus, Warwick Mills, Patagonia and American military.
Some other companies such as Spiber Technologies, Araknitek, KAIST also spent many years in the research of Synthetic Spider Silk. While until now, they have not realized the commercial production yet.
Synthetic Spider Silk has many potential applications, such as textile, automobile, health care and military. Currently, North Face has launched a gold-colored jacket "Moon parka" which is made out of Synthetic Spider Silk produced by Spiber. And Lexus also has shown a web-like driver's seat crafted from Synthetic Spider Silk. In the future, many other applications will be expected.
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