No problem with spider silk for medical application

17 Oct '06

3 min read

A University of Wyoming (UW) molecular biologist will use the renewal of a half-million-dollar Air Force grant to develop spider silk for military and medical applications.

College of Agriculture Professor Randy Lewis said the research will examine using spider silk as sutures. There is also interest in using spider silk technology as scaffolding for regenerating ligaments or tendons in humans.

The grant will continue research by his team into production of spider silk for various commercial purposes. But first, spider silk has to be produced in sufficient quantities. For that, the specific spider silk gene has been placed into the goat genome and the protein then extracted from milk and spun into fibers. Canada-based Nexia Biotechnologies Inc in Montreal, Quebec, has been using the process in transgenic goats.

UW will begin processing the goat's milk containing the spider silk protein for the production of recombinant spider silk -- BioSteel -- for Nexia. About 5,200 pounds, or about 600 gallons, has been delivered, says Lewis, who has built an international reputation for his spider silk research.

The purified BioSteel is provided to companies and institutions that have an interest in developing Nexia's technologies, according to the company. Nexia recently renewed its exclusive spider silk gene licensing agreement with UW for all commercial fields relevant to Nexia.

Lewis also recently received a $200,000 Department of Armygrant to provide equipment to further purify spider silk proteins. The grant will develop fibers for use in bulletproof wear. About 600 gallons of goat milk is needed to produce a 5-pound bulletproof vest. Because of the volume needed, Lewis and his team have conducted research introducing the spider silk protein in alfalfa, but quantities produced are not yet at commercially useful levels.

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