Project Grant 20246701142898

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SILK HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT MATERIAL THROUGHOUT HISTORY, USED IN TEXTILES, COSMETICS, AND MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. CURRENTLY, THE GLOBAL SILK MARKET IS EXPANDING AS GROUPS AIM TO FIND A MOREENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVETO SYNTHETIC MATERIALS.HOWEVER, THE UNITED STATES HAS FACED CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL SILK MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, MISSING OUT ON THE EXPANDING GLOBAL MARKET. HIGHLIGHTINGTHE NEED FOR INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO SILK PRODUCTION.TRADITIONALLY, SILK MANUFACTURING RELIES ON THE DOMESTICATED SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI. CURRENT SILK FARMING PRACTICES ARE LABOR-INTENSIVE AND NOT WELL-SUITED FOR HIGH LABOR COST AREAS LIKE THE USA. ADDITIONALLY, OUTDOOR SILK FARMING FACES CHALLENGES SUCH AS INCONSISTENT QUALITY AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, WHICH CAN BE EXASERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. FURTHERMORE, RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN GENETIC ENGINEERING, LIKE CRISPR TECHNOLOGIES, HAVE OPENED NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR USING SILKWORMS TO PRODUCE VALUABLE PROTEINS. HOWEVER, PRODUCING LARGE PROTEINS WITH COMMON METHODS, SUCH AS USING E. COLI BACTERIA, IS DIFFICULT. SILK GLANDS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE WELL-SUITED FOR THIS TASK.IN MY PROJECT, I AIM TO LEVERAGE THE INDIAN MEAL MOTH, PLODIA INTERPUNCTELLA (PI), AS AN ALTERNATIVE SILK PRODUCER FOR BOTH NUTURAL AND MODIFIED SILK. PI CAN BE EASILY RAISED INDOORS WITH CONTROLLED CONDITIONS AND STANDARDIZED FOOD SOURCES. IT IS ALSO A GOOD MODEL FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING, SUPPORTED BY EXTENSIVE GENETIC DATA. BY UNDERSTANDING HOW TO ENHANCE SILK PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPING METHODS FOR COLLECTING SILK AND EXPRESSING MODIFIED SILK PROTEINS, PI COULD HELP THE USA ENTER THE GLOBAL SILK MARKET. THIS APPROACH WOULD OFFER BETTER STANDARDIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES WHILE MINIMIZING THE RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.