With growing demands for vegan alternatives to silk, a range of options have been made available to designers, who while using silk get into a bit of a dilemma. One such option that has been in development aiming at eliminating the need to involve a living creature is the honeybee silk. Instead of drawing the fibre from the gland of honeybee, the scientists have trans-genetically produced “soup” of silk proteins, from where the fibres are drawn by hand to create thread that can be woven into fabric.
The fibre obtained from honeybees is not only strong and highly durable, but at the same time it also retains the light airy feel that is characteristic of silk. The main benefit is that the proteins in honeybee silk specifically are much easier to reproduce in a lab than those from other organisms. Owing to its lightweight and durable nature, the potential applications of this silk can be in case of performance apparels, especially aviation or marine purposes.
