Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, the developer of spider silk-based fibre headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has filed two new patents concerning recombinant spider silk.

As per an Innovation in Textiles report, both these patents are built on underlying knock-in/knock-out gene-editing technologies that the company first made public in 2020. They expand on nearly pure spider silk genetic engineering systems allowing for larger, more complex, and more diverse protein production systems.

Covering the in situ auto assembly of large and complex proteins, the first of the two patents allows for the creation of silks that incorporate multiple sets of mechanical and chemical properties that cannot be created by conventional gene editing means.

Kraig developed this new system to address the limits on size and complexity of protein synthesis available from the world’s leading recombinant gene manufacturers.

The second patent moves developments in gene editing beyond the traditional heavy chain fibroin component of silk. This new research and development avenue opens the doors for the co-production of complementary proteins. This evolution in research delivers on the company’s vision for its transgenic silkworms as host platforms for tailored cosmetic and pharmacological proteins.

The company has filed both of these patent applications under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) process, as well as filing utility patents in the USA. The broad nature of the patents will allow the company to protect its technologies across the globe.