Date of Award:

12-2020

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Biological Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Randolph V. Lewis (Committee Co-Chair), Ronald Sims (Committee Co-Chair)

Committee

Randolph V. Lewis

Committee

Ronald Sims

Committee

Charles Miller

Committee

Justin A. Jones

Committee

H. Scott Hinton

Abstract

Spider silks are remarkable biomaterials, possessing a variety of desirable mechanical and material properties. Humans have long-sought to utilize these materials. Spiders produce a range of different types of silks for different purposes, such as web-building, egg casing, and prey swathing. Because spiders are difficult to farm, a synthetic biological approach must be used to produce silk-like proteins. This research is intended to improve the production of piriform, a specific type of spider silk. This was done with targeted-improvements to microbial metabolism and recovery methodologies. The methods developed in this research are useful for other types of silk production and generally contribute to a body of knowledge on the commercialization of spider silk products.

Checksum

7066a475de754320501c527b6ff8ed03

Available for download on Monday, December 01, 2025

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