SILKWORMS AS SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN BIOREACTORS

Abstract

Silkworms are gaining traction as cost-effective and scalable eukaryotic hosts for recombinant protein production. Their silk glands and cocoon matrices provide naturally high protein-synthesis capacity and straightforward downstream harvesting, positioning them as viable alternatives to bacterial, yeast, insect-cell, and mammalian expression systems. Recent advances in gene editing, transgenic silkworm platforms, and baculovirus-based infection strategies have enabled production of enzymes, therapeutic proteins, vaccine antigens, and engineered biomaterials with enhanced yield, folding, and functionality. At the same time, the integration of silkworm biomanufacturing with sustainable rearing approaches such as botanical pesticide formulations in insect-factory contexts offers a lower-impact production model aligned with modern green-bio manufacturing trends. This review synthesises silkworm biology and expression system design, surveys key applications and achievements, and analyses strengths, limitations and competitive placement of the system. We conclude with future-oriented perspectives on genome and synthetic biology integration, downstream process standardisation, and regulatory evolution necessary for silkworm platforms to become mainstream bioreactors.