Kraig Labs, the biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing spider silk, announces that it has contracted Jeff Dorton, a top textile expert, to assist the Company in developing new and innovative yarns and fabrics utilizing Dragon Silk™. Kraig Labs is leveraging Mr. Dorton’s expertise and proven record of innovation in textiles to create new and exciting composite yarns and fabrics utilizing spider silk.
The initial customer for these yarns and fabrics will be Spydasilk Enterprises, the Company’s joint venture apparel brand, headquartered in Singapore. Following the launch of Spydasilk apparel, the Company plans to expand collaboration with Mr. Dorton to create several additional yarns and textiles for applications spanning the performance and luxury textiles market and beyond.
Mr. Dorton brings a passion for material development, a proven track record of innovation, and a wealth of experience working with some of the best textile mills worldwide. He has led some of those most disruptive innovations in next-generation textiles that permeate the performance wear segment. Utilizing his extensive network of mills and spinners around the globe, Mr. Dorton is currently working to drive the manufacture of the first spider silk fabrics.
Kraig’s lead product is a genetically engineered spider silk known as Dragon Silk™, and its closely related sister product Monster Silk®. They are composed of a unique combination of spider silk protein and silkworm silk protein. These genetically engineered spider silks are significantly stronger and more flexible than commercial-grade silk. The traditional silk market is estimated at approximately $3 to $5 billion (US) per year at the raw fiber level. Dragon Silk™ represents a massive leap forward in the Company’s recombinant spider silk technology, combining both the elasticity and strength elements of native spider silk.
A comparison of the Properties of Natural Spider Silk, Kevlar®, and Steel is shown in the table, which highlights the advantages of the
| Category | Material Toughness | Tensile Strength | Weight |
| Dragline spider silk | 120,000-160,000 | 1,100-2,900 | 1.18-1.36 |
| Kevlar® | 30,000-50,000 | 2,600-4,100 | 1.44 |
| Steel | 2,000-6,000 | 300-2,000 | 7.84 |
