Unprecedented use of silkworm rearing in the field of biotechnology, and the study of its therapeutic values by a research team from Murcia, trigger new hopes for regenerative medicine. Low costs of silk production, and the minimum risks of medical and environmental side effects, aim to stimulate the region’s economy and competitiveness.
- 16 December 2014
In 2008, a research team from the Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA) launched a four-year-long project (2008-2011), targeting the development of bio products out of sericulture (or silk farming). IMIDA is the first and only Spanish institution devoted to research in sericulture. In addition to its partnership with the spin-off company Bioprodin, the project recently involved two new companies producing respectively proteins and biomaterials, which will create at least four jobs. The project funding has already sustained the research of three doctors working specifically in the field of sericulture.
Beyond the industry of textile: innovative applications to scientific fields
In the last decade, scientific developments have shown that silk can have applications in the fields of biomedicine and biotechnology, through its natural and recombinant proteins. Fibroin, the structural protein of silk, can be used in the fabrication of scaffolds for the growth of stem cells, and in the scalable production of new tissues of skin and nerves, through methods of electro spinning. This can be further used for skin care and wound healing, as well as in cosmetic and dermatological products.
Not only has silk proved to contain powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, but it could also be used as a vector for the creation of new vaccines and antibodies. This set of non-textile applications of silkworms by IMIDA is giving Murcia a competitive edge. In addition to its added value in Research and Development (R&D), the project has also given new visibility to the region’s ancestral traditions of sericulture.
Global network of partnerships and alignment with international competitors
The project has been used as a platform for developing diverse technologies around silkworm biotechnology, with the aim of connecting worldwide experts, and sharing methods of best practices in silkworm rearing on a global scale.
The project aims to develop new protocols for: (1) extracting proteins from silkworms; (2) processing them; and (3) turning them into different structures, such as particles, gels, films, nanofibre mats or sponges. As such, the research group collaborates closely with the University of Zhejiang, in China, in order to acquire know-hows and secure silk biomaterials supplies. The IMIDA is thus aligning with findings from top European research experts coming from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the UK.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “BIOSILK” is EUR 67 539, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contributing EUR 54 031, through the “Murcia” Operational Programme, for the 2007-2013 programming period.