Solena Materials, a spinout from Imperial College London
founded in 2022, has partnered with Dutch biotechnology
company The Protein Express on a new development programme
aimed at accelerating the large-scale production of innovative
protein fibres.The main aim of the project is not just to develop
another bio-based fibre concept, but to build a complete produc
tion platform that can manufacture protein fibres at industrial
scale and competitive cost.
An important part of the programme involves creating protein
sequences specifically designed for both high performance and
easier manufacturing. Instead of copying natural proteins, Solena
develops entirely new protein structures that can be adjusted at
the molecular level to achieve desired properties.
These newly designed proteins will then be produced using The
Protein Express’s fermentation technology, which the companies
believe can solve one of the biggest challenges in protein
materials, affordable large-scale production.