Solena Materials, a spinout from Imperial College London founded in 2022, has partnered with Dutch biotechnology company The Protein Express on a new development programme aimed at accelerating the large-scale production of innovative protein fibres.

The main aim of the project is not just to develop another bio-based fibre concept, but to build a complete production platform that can manufacture protein fibres at industrial scale and competitive cost.

An important part of the programme involves creating protein sequences specifically designed for both high performance and easier manufacturing. Instead of copying natural proteins, Solena develops entirely new protein structures that can be adjusted at the molecular level to achieve desired properties.

These newly designed proteins will then be produced using The Protein Express’s fermentation technology, which the companies believe can solve one of the biggest challenges in protein materials, affordable large-scale production.