Spiber: A New Generation of Textiles

Spiber, a Japanese startup is exploring how spider webs could transform the textile industry. The biotech company started by making an artificial silk replica in the lab and has since spun out its fabric range to include more sustainable alternatives like wool which can be produced without any pesticides or harmful chemicals while still maintaining quality fibers.

The strength and durability of spider silk are unparalleled. The material has been used for various purposes, including in medical applications such as sutures or artificial joints to engineer stronger materials with unique properties through bioinspired engineering techniques like molecular printing.
The amazing qualities that this fabric offers us can be seen all over—from everyday clothes made out of its fibers (like your favorite hooded jacket) right down to the high-tech fabrics we wear every day. Te fabric is strong while breathable too.

The company’s trademarked fiber, Brewed Protein has been used in limited edition collections with brands such as Japanese streetwear label Sacai and outdoor apparel specialists The North Face Japan.

The founder of Spiber is an entrepreneur who has scaled up production and getting ready for a full commercial launch. Their textiles could help solve some global challenges we’re facing today, such as pollution in our environment or resource shortages across world industries.

The average person thinks that spiders spin their webs with spinning silk, but in reality, it is a liquid protein called “protein web” which they create by slowly drinking up to 12% of water while mixing the protein and water together. Spiders are cannibals and you cannot farm these creatures.

The founders of Spiber, Kazuhide Sekiyama, and Junichi Sugahara decided to create a synthetic material that is molecularly identical in every way possible to silk produced by spiders. They began experimenting as students at Keio University’s School Of Engineering back when they were studying there during the early 2000s; after years spent perfecting their craft together through trial-and-error – which included everything from creating new types of alloys for stronger fibers using gold metals like titanium dioxide or silver traces added within other key ingredients–the duo finally had success.

Spiber’s research is the largest database on silk ever compiled. It contains information about thousands of different species and other varieties that produce this material, making it an invaluable resource for scientists around the world who study arachnids such as spiders or moth larvae in order to better understand their own unique habitats.

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Higashi says that Spiber’s fibers are made by fermenting water, sugar, and nutrients with specially modified microbes in steel tanks to produce protein polymers. These molecules then go through a nozzle for spinning into the fabric which has many benefits including strength as well an antibacterial property against staphylococcus bacteria – something perfect if you’re looking for durable clothing with heath benefits.

When Spiber realized that their new invention would shrink when wet, they had to modify the protein in order for it to be suitable as an outdoor jacket.

It was a long process of development, but eventually, Higashi’s parkas became an award-winning garment. The company created its first collection in four years and it sold out immediately at 150 thousand yen (around $1 400 ) per garment.