Artificial Spider Silk Dress Signals Step toward Mass-Production

Copyright Spiber Inc.

Spiber Inc., a Japanese biotechnology venture company based in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, unveiled a dress in May 2013 that the company produced using artificial spider silk. Spiber is researching and developing the practical use of fibers made from artificial spider silk.

Characterized by being stronger than steel and more elastic than nylon, spider's silk has drawn attention as the toughest fiber in the world. However, because spiders are predatory and territorial insects, it is difficult to raise them in a farm to produce spider's silk.

Spiber analyzed vast amounts of amino acid sequences, genetic information, and other experiment data, and is developing a technology for mass-producing the components of spider's silk by implanting genes from spider's silk into microorganisms. Biomass serves as the nutrient source for the microorganisms, meaning that this technology makes it possible to obtain a raw material not dependent on oil.

The company plans to establish a plant for test production in cooperation with Kojima Industries Corporation in 2013. They intend to start providing commercial samples in 2015 after investigating technologies needed for mass-production.