Project description
Innovative custom-fit biotextile for healthcare
Silk-based biomedical biotextiles have been widely used in the clinical sector. When it comes to fibre formation, natural silks have demonstrated a significantly higher efficiency and sustainability than synthetic polymers. A silk aquamelt is the nanocomposite state of biological matter that is produced through the spinning process by spiders and silkworms. This material combines strength, toughness, utility and safety. The EU-funded SAM project aims to introduce bespoke silk aquamelts to the medical market for novel healthcare solutions. SAM will offer a solution for the replacement of plastic that involves no genetically modified organisms, non-toxic chemicals, and water as the only by-product.
Objective
Silk Aquamelts to Market (SAM) will catalyse the process of bringing Spintex Engineering’s silk aquamelts, as high-performance artificially spun fibres, to the medical market. SAM aims to fully commercialise our bespoke silks, for novel healthcare solutions. Objective 1 starts with a market analysis of medical biotextiles and their patent landscape. A dedicated research analyst will identify networking, commercial and regulatory opportunities/challenges for our company’s novel and unmatched fibres. Sharing the results of this work, the market analysis will provide a detailed feasibility study for silk aquamelts in the biotextiles sector, assisting further developments from FLIPT members and their own roadmapping work which is currently textile focused. By focusing on healthcare SAM will target a market with attractive profit margins, and demonstrate the viability of the aquamelt pathway in a heavily regulated industry. Objective 2 will tackle this regulatory compliance and certification in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and ISO 10993 & 13485 for our silk aquamelts. By training key personnel in compliance with ISO standards and GMP, audit certification with EU notified bodies and receipt of CE marks will be achieved and individuals upskilled. We will demonstrate silk aquamelts’ utility and safety and add value to FLIPT, by expanding the opportunities available for other aquamelt materials and assisting their route to market. Furthermore, contact with investors, customers and at conferences, will establish the aquamelt pathway as the future of EU fibre production. This will directly benefit the uptake of future aquamelt developments from the FLIPT project and help several key work packages and tasks.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
OX5 2DH Oxford
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.