Mulberry silkworm biotechnology as the basis of a bioindustrial platform. Improvements on the upstream processing stage (USP)

Abstract

Molecular engineering is an upstream engineering method for creating functional materials and devices using molecules, and atoms as building blocks. In 2000, Japan became the first country to genetically modify silkworms (Bombyx mori, hereinafter referred to as B. mori). The subsequent research in the development of new materials expanded the possibilities of using sericulture products, characterizing this situation as a "sericulture revolution". In the Russian Federation, molecular engineering in life sciences is aimed at solving the tasks of developing world-class technological platforms to create tools to produce new molecules (biopolymers, proteins, enzymes), bioproducts, cells and organisms. The main "bottom-up" approaches applied in the upstream process (USP) stage of silk production to improve the production and economic performance and quality characteristics of raw materials have been studied. The variety of improvement methods includes: the possibility of using artificial nutrient medium, molecular engineering based on transient expression techniques or stable germline transformation, genetic selection methods, breeding management, etc. The advantages of the mulberry silkworm (B. mori) such as low breeding costs, significantly higher production yield compared to other protein expression systems, favor its use as an effective producer of recombinant proteins, antimicrobial peptides and biologically active substances. USP stage biotechnologies enable the production of new raw materials for downstream processing (DSP) to produce a wide range of products that contribute to improving the quality of human life. A set of biotechnological solutions forms the modern basis of the mulberry silkworm bioindustrial platform.