USPTO publishes two major Kraig Biocraft Lab patent applications

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a biotechnology firm specializing in the research and commercialization of spider silk, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has just published two major patent applications filed by the Company. Kraig Labs’ breakthrough recombinant spider silk technology is the basis for these two USPTO patent applications.

These USPTO patent applications are based on three provisional patents that were submitted in July 2020. In July 2021, the two merged petitions were filed. This is the first opportunity for the general public to go under the hood to understand what this powerful intellectual property entails and what potential it may open up.

The first of these USPTO applications, titled “Synthesis of High Molecular Weight Proteins Using Inteins,” reimagines the Company’s approach to large-format spider silk protein synthesis. This innovative method enables the silkworm to self-assemble specific proteins in an automatic manner. This approach opens up the possibility of going beyond the limits of present protein synthesis technology.

Using Inteins’ auto-processing capabilities, this novel approach allows for the creation of plug-and-play mixes of many spider silk proteins that are not limited by the present size limits for targeted gene knock-in knock-out transformations.

The second of these USPTO applications, titled “Synthesis of Non-Native Proteins in Bombyx Mori by Modifying Sericin Expression,” goes beyond heavy chain fibroin to allow for the co-production of non-fibrous proteins within sericin. Sericin is a stick glue-like protein that holds the silk fibers together. It accounts for around 20% of the cocoon and is widely regarded as a waste product.

This idea aims to take advantage of this underutilized resource in order to boost the production of target proteins. These target materials could be used for a variety of purposes, including therapeutic and pharmacological proteins. The existing protein synthesis technologies are inefficient and, as a result, quite expensive. This novel technology enables large-scale manufacturing of components such as elastin, keratin, human collagen, and many others at comparatively inexpensive costs.

COO Jon Rice, said that their research team continues to deliver, creating unique and inventive uses for their gene-editing technology. While their Vietnam production operations remain laser-focused on large-scale commercial production of spider silk textiles, their lab is hard at work executing on the technical roadmap to safeguard Kraig Labs’ future and legacy.