Week 2 - Engineered Biomaterials - Session 1
โ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ฎ, ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ of the #FashionMeetsSyntheticBiology festival takes us at the frontier of ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป using synthetic biology to engineer silk-like proteins. The result is fibres stronger and tougher than natureโs own, with the possibility to tailor performance and quality. Together, these talks reveal how science and creativity can surpass natural textiles, while the company's perspective will in parallel highlight sustainability and scalability, to redefine the possibilities of fashion and beyond.
โAcademic Research Highlight!
โFaisal Giwa, PhD Candidate, University of Manchester: Engineering Silk Beyond Nature: Synthetic Steric Zippers for High-Performance Protein Fibres
โSilk is one of natureโs strongest and most versatile fibres, yet its natural properties impose limits on performance and functionality. In this work, we go beyond what evolution has produced by engineering new silk-like proteins that incorporate synthetic steric zippersโstructural motifs designed to enhance intermolecular packing and stability. By embedding these motifs, we created fibres with significantly improved strength and toughness compared to natural silk. This approach demonstrates how principles from structural biology can be combined with synthetic design to unlock new classes of protein-based materials. Our findings open the door to sustainable, high-performance fibres with applications ranging from textiles to advanced engineering materials.
โInnovation Showcase!!
โSolena Materials: AI-Driven Protein Design for the Next Generation of High-Performance Fibres
โSolena is pioneering a new generation of biomaterials by uniting artificial intelligence with bio-based manufacturing. By applying AI-driven computational protein design, the company engineers protein fibres from the molecular level upward, tailoring both performance and quality. This approach enables the creation of entirely new classes of fibres that surpass the limitations of natural materials while remaining sustainable and scalable. In this talk, we will explore how Solenaโs platform is reshaping the future of high-performance fibres, opening opportunities for advanced textiles, technical applications, and next-generation sustainable materials.