Chemistry:AMSilk

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AMSilk is an industrial supplier of synthetic silk biopolymers.[1] The polymers are biocompatible and breathable.[2] The company was founded in 2008 and has its headquarters at Campus Neuried in Munich.[3] AMSilk is an industrial biotechnology company with a proprietary production process for their silk materials.[4]

AMSilk produces a lightweight material trademarked as Biosteel,[5] created from recombinant spider silk, which was used by Adidas to create a biodegradable running shoe.[6] Jens Klein, former CEO of AMSilk, said during an interview that the biodegradable material can help reduce the amount of waste that has to be burned or pollutes the environment.[7]

AMSilk is also developing breast implants made of biodegradable spider silk in collaboration with the German company Polytech.[8]

History

AMSilk was founded in 2008 by Lin Römer and Professor Thomas Scheibel in Planegg, Germany, with the aim of becoming the world's first industrial supplier[9] of synthetic silk biopolymers.[10]

In 2011, the company partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) to develop a new spin process for the AMSilk spider silk proteins.[11]

In 2015, AMSilk began producing Biosteel Fibre made from 100% silk proteins based on natural spider silk.[12] Then, in November 2016, the company used its Biosteel Fibre to collaborate with Adidas[13] to create the ‘Futurecraft Biofabric’ shoe prototype.[14] The Biosteel Yarn fibre-based shoe is 100% biodegradable and is designed to replicate spider silk.[15]

In April 2017, AMSilk announced its partnership with Gruschwitz Textilwerke.[16]

In 2019, Swiss cosmetics manufacturer Givaudan acquired the cosmetics arm of AMSilk to expand the use of spider silk technology in cosmetic products.[17]

In May 2021, the company secured a EUR 29 Million Series C fundraising.[9] In April 2023 AMSilk raised an additional €25 million to accelerate industrial scale-up and expand commercial operations.[18]

In February 2023, Evonik Industries signed a contract with AMSilk to supply industrial quantities of protein products made from the fermentation of renewable raw materials.[19]

In 2023, AMSilk partnered with Brain Biotech, a company that develops and manufactures bio-based products for industry, to develop bio-based protein fibres for the textile industry.[20]

Founding and Development

AMSilk has developed a range of silk biopolymers designed for application in various medical devices, focusing on enhancing the bio-compatibility of medical implants.[21]

In 2017, AMSilk was named one of the 50 most innovative companies in the world by the German edition of MIT Technology Review.[22]

In 2018, AMSilk signed a deal with Airbus to develop a spider silk-based material for lightweight, high-performance planes.[23] The collaboration aimed to launch the first prototype composite material in 2019.[24]

Within the same year, the company partnered with Polytech Health & Aesthetics, the leading manufacturer of silicone implants, to begin a clinical trial of silk-coated implants on a handful of patients in Austria.[25]

Headquarters

AMSilk is currently located at Campus Neuried in Munich, Germany, after relocating in October 2022.[3]

Products and services

AMSilk partnered with Swiss watchmaker Omega SA in 2019 to make the Nato watch strap, which blends polyamide and Biosteel.[26]

In January 2022, Mercedes-Benz partnered with AMSilk to develop sustainable door pulls using Biosteel fibre on its VISION EQXX[27] concept electric car.[28]

Since announcing its partnership with Airbus in 2018,[24] AMSilk has worked on developing silk-reinforced polymers as a substitute for Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs).[29]

Environmental impact

AMSilk has worked with fashion brands to create sustainable alternatives using a biosynthetic silk made by adding silk genes into bacteria through biofermentation. This material has been used in collaboration with Omega and Adidas for a watch strap and the "Futurecraft" shoe.[30] AMSilk's Biosteel Fiber, used in these collaborations is notable for its biodegradability, breaking down in seawater and on land within a few months.[31]

Utilizing a bio-fabrication process that reprograms microorganisms based on spider DNA, the company produces this silk-like material at scale using bacteria and natural fermentation.[30]

In November 2022, AMSilk participated as one of 100 renowned companies in the VISION 2045 Summit held alongside the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).[32]

References

  1. ↑ "AMSilk Develops Spidersilk, a Biocompatible Material for Use in Cosmetic Formulations". http://cosmetics.specialchem.com/news/product-news/amsilk-develops-spidersilk-a-biocompatible-material-for-use-in-cosmetic-formulations. 
  2. ↑ "AMSilk and Fraunhofer partner in new spin process for spider silk". http://www.innovationintextiles.com/amsilk-and-fraunhofer-partner-in-new-spin-process-for-spider-silk/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "AMSilk Moves to New Site, Will Produce "Game Changing" Vegan Silk at Industrial Scale". 20 October 2022. https://vegconomist.com/materials/amsilk-new-site/. 
  4. ↑ Drake, Nadia. "Synthetic spider silk capsules assemble themselves (Wired UK)". Wired UK. https://www.wired.com/2013/09/synthetic-spider-silk/. Retrieved 2016-06-07. 
  5. ↑ "Biosteel Fiber". http://www.biosteel-fiber.com/home/. Retrieved March 14, 2019. 
  6. ↑ "Adidas is launching biodegradable shoes that can be dissolved in 36 hours". Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-biodegradable-shoes-silk-2017-3. 
  7. ↑ "Meet AMSilk, the German Biotech Behind Adidas' Biodegradable Shoes" (in en-US). Labiotech.eu. 2018-06-04. https://labiotech.eu/amsilk-adidas-biodegradable-shoes/. 
  8. ↑ "POLYTECH and AMSilk Announce Start of Joint International Clinical Study for Silk-Coated Medical Implants". February 2018. https://www.amsilk.com/Contents/user_upload/20180227_POLYTECH_and_AMSilk_Announce_Clinical_Study.pdf. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Food tech: satisfying investors' appetite for growth?". https://www.ft.com/content/7a9e64ca-7658-4aca-8f76-10f4bc4cd806. 
  10. ↑ "AMSilk, world's first industrial supplier of environmentally friendly silk biopolymers". https://www.yarnsandfibers.com/interview/amsilk-worlds-first-industrial-supplier-of-environmentally-friendly-silk-biopolymers/. 
  11. ↑ "AMSilk And Fraunhofer Institute For Applied Polymer Research Join In The Development Of New Spin Process For Spider Silk". 13 September 2011. https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/nonwovens-technical-textiles/2011/09/amsilk-and-fraunhofer-institute-for-applied-polymer-research-join-in-the-development-of-new-spin-process-for-spider-silk/. 
  12. ↑ "Nature has all the answers". https://www.textiletechnology.net/fibers/interview/interview-with-ulrich-scherbel-amsilk-nature-has-all-the-answers-32173. 
  13. ↑ "Adidas's high-tech factory brings production back to Germany". The Economist. https://www.economist.com/business/2017/01/14/adidass-high-tech-factory-brings-production-back-to-germany. 
  14. ↑ Burns, Mark (18 November 2016). "Adidas unveils world's first performance shoe made exclusively from biosteel fiber". https://www.si.com/media/2016/11/18/adidas-biosteel-fiber-shoe. 
  15. ↑ Rodríguez Fernández, Clara (18 November 2016). "These Spider Silk Sneakers from Adidas Are Biodegradable". https://www.labiotech.eu/trends-news/adidas-amsilk-biodegradable-sneakers/. 
  16. ↑ "AMSilk and Gruschwitz to develop products using Biosteel fibre". https://www.innovationintextiles.com/amsilk-and-gruschwitz-to-develop-products-using-biosteel-fibre/. 
  17. ↑ Rodríguez Fernández, Clara (30 April 2019). "Cosmetics Giant Acquires German Biotech's Spider Silk Cosmetics Arm". https://www.labiotech.eu/trends-news/givaudan-amsilk-spider-silk-cosmetics/. 
  18. ↑ "Extension of Series C financing". https://www.textiletechnology.net/fibers/news/amsilk-extension-of-series-c-financing-33816. 
  19. ↑ Scott, Alex. "Evonik to make spider silk for AMSilk". https://cen.acs.org/business/biobased-chemicals/Evonik-make-spider-silk-AMSilk/101/i7?. 
  20. ↑ Glover, Simon (8 February 2023). "Biotech pioneers to partner on protein fibres". https://www.ecotextile.com/2023020830349/materials-production-news/biotech-pioneers-to-partner-on-protein-fibres.html. 
  21. ↑ "Spider insider: Optimise interactions between the body and implants". 15 September 2022. https://www.medicalplasticsnews.com/medical-plastics-industry-insights/medical-plastics-materials-insights/spider-insider-how-to-optimise-interactions-between-the-body/. 
  22. ↑ "Award for the 50 most innovative companies in the world". 12 September 2017. https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Auszeichnung-fuer-die-50-weltweit-innovativsten-Unternehmen-3829094.html. 
  23. ↑ "Synthetic spider silk: positive spin". https://www.ft.com/content/17bf7c4c-86bb-43c4-b10b-66e119d9dad8. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Feldman, Amy. "Spider Silk In Airplanes? Germany's AMSilk Inks Deal With Airbus To Develop A New High-Performance Material". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyfeldman/2018/09/08/spider-silk-in-airplanes-germanys-amsilk-inks-deal-with-airbus-to-develop-a-new-high-performance-material/?sh=3f6b90703520. 
  25. ↑ "AMSilk GmbH: POLYTECH and AMSilk Announce Start of Joint International Clinical Study for Silk-Coated Medical Implants". 27 February 2018. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amsilk-gmbh-polytech-amsilk-announce-184500572.html. 
  26. ↑ Rodríguez Fernández, Clara (31 January 2019). "Watch Strap Made of Recombinant Spider Silk Launches in Europe". https://www.labiotech.eu/more-news/amsilk-spider-silk-watch-strap/. 
  27. ↑ "Digital World Premiere of the VISION EQXX - the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever". https://media.mercedes-benz.com/vision_eqxx. 
  28. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz Opts for AMSilk Vegan Materials in New Concept Car". https://vegconomist.com/fashion-design-and-beauty/mercedes-benz-opts-for-amsilk-vegan-materials-in-new-concept-car/. 
  29. ↑ "Aircraft construction is being transformed". The Economist. https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2019/05/30/aircraft-construction-is-being-transformed. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Grobosch, Lara (8 November 2022). "Biocouture: This is the most sustainable way to produce materials". https://www.vogue.de/mode/artikel/biocouture-materialien-nachhaltig-hergestellt-bakterien. 
  31. ↑ Pells, Rachael. "Fibres of the future – How is science combating fashion's sustainability problem?". https://www.upm.com/articles/beyond-fossils/23/fibres-of-the-future-how-is-science-combating-fashions-sustainability-problem/. 
  32. ↑ Pinnock, Olivia. "Fashion Attendees At Cop27 Say Meaningful Targets And Greenwashing Are Key Concerns". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliviapinnock/2022/11/09/fashion-attendees-at-cop27-say-meaningful-targets-and-greenwashing-are-key-concerns/?sh=51845eaa5c2c. 



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