During one of our brainstorming sessions, two of our team members came up with the idea of producing silk. So both the production of mulberry silk and the production of spider silk were on the table. Even the production of byssus, or mussel silk, was briefly considered. After a thorough discussion, we chose spider silk for its many beneficial characteristics in medicine. Now we only had to figure out what exactly we wanted to do with it. We soon recognised that it is essential to us that our project has a broad application and could thus help many people. In the process, we noticed that we have several people in our close circle who have already suffered from poorly healing wounds or are currently suffering from them. In Germany, up to 1.8 million people are receiving medical care to treat their poorly healing wounds. Considering these staggering numbers, many of our team members have come into contact with the issue through family members and close acquaintances.
Through our research we have realized that such wounds are not only widespread but also more dangerous than one might think. Many possible factors can cause the poor healing of wounds. Age, preexisting disease, different body types, vascular issues, and various other aspects affect the healing of injuries and wounds. An estimated two percent of the US American population suffers from chronic wounds. People over the age of 65 are considerably more likely to be affected.
Figure 1: First sketch of our team logo
Figure 2: Mindmap about relevance of our topic regarding underestimated risks of open wounds
Figure 3: Sketch of our product logo
With the production of our silk, we hope to try and address the problems. For our project, spider silk is to be bio-synthesized from spidroins (spider silk proteins) by modified Escherichia coli. After purifying the protein, the protein will first be spun into a thread with a defined diameter and then bundled into an amorphous tissue of spider silk. Furthermore, a fine layer of collagen is to be bound onto the surface. The spider silk collagen fibre obtained can be further modified to promote wound. The patch is applied directly to the affected area, which has been thoroughly cleansed and disinfected beforehand. Promotion of wound healing in the inflammation, granulation and regenerative phases is achieved by sustaining the moist wound environment through the plaster as part of a multi-modular approach.
