Upcycling Silk Textile Waste for Biotechnology Applications
Presentation Type
Three Minute Thesis
Category
STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)
Abstract/Artist Statement
Silk fibroin is a strong, versatile protein used to make materials such as films, hydrogels, and microneedles for biotechnology applications. This protein is typically obtained from two raw materials: silkworm cocoons and silk yarn—the same resources used by the textile industry for fabrics. This demand for raw silk drives intensive silkworm farming, which comes with environmental costs and ethical concerns, including high carbon emissions and silkworm killing. Together, these challenges highlight the need for alternative sources of silk fibroin.
Meanwhile, the textile industry generates over 11 million tons of silk waste annually, most of which end up in landfills. This raises an important question: Can silk textile waste be recycled into high-quality silk fibroin for biotechnology? To answer this, I extracted silk fibroin from three forms of silk textile waste—undyed waste silk fiber, dyed waste silk fiber, and sari ribbon scraps—and compared them to fibroin from the conventional sources.
I found that silk fibroin from textile waste largely retained properties comparable to that from typical sources. Also, the recycled silk fibroin was processed into bioplastics, showing mechanical performance similar to commercial plastic films, highlighting their potential as bioplastics for packaging.
Overall, this work demonstrates that silk textile waste is not just trash but could be repurposed into a valuable resource. Recycling silk waste into functional biomaterials supports a circular bioeconomy and reduces the carbon footprint of silk-based materials.
Mentor Name
Ndiana-Abasi Sunday
Upcycling Silk Textile Waste for Biotechnology Applications
UC North Ballroom
Silk fibroin is a strong, versatile protein used to make materials such as films, hydrogels, and microneedles for biotechnology applications. This protein is typically obtained from two raw materials: silkworm cocoons and silk yarn—the same resources used by the textile industry for fabrics. This demand for raw silk drives intensive silkworm farming, which comes with environmental costs and ethical concerns, including high carbon emissions and silkworm killing. Together, these challenges highlight the need for alternative sources of silk fibroin.
Meanwhile, the textile industry generates over 11 million tons of silk waste annually, most of which end up in landfills. This raises an important question: Can silk textile waste be recycled into high-quality silk fibroin for biotechnology? To answer this, I extracted silk fibroin from three forms of silk textile waste—undyed waste silk fiber, dyed waste silk fiber, and sari ribbon scraps—and compared them to fibroin from the conventional sources.
I found that silk fibroin from textile waste largely retained properties comparable to that from typical sources. Also, the recycled silk fibroin was processed into bioplastics, showing mechanical performance similar to commercial plastic films, highlighting their potential as bioplastics for packaging.
Overall, this work demonstrates that silk textile waste is not just trash but could be repurposed into a valuable resource. Recycling silk waste into functional biomaterials supports a circular bioeconomy and reduces the carbon footprint of silk-based materials.