Want to use spider silk in Iceland’s fishing industry

A group of students at the University of Iceland is currently developing products made from a highly unconventional material: spider silk. The research team, called ARAXNI, says the silk could replace, for example, various plastics used in Iceland’s fishing and textile industries.

Spider silk is one of the strongest and most elastic biomaterials found in nature. Additionally, it is biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly alternative. By prioritising sustainable production, ARAXNI aims to demonstrate that the future of material manufacturing can be both innovative and eco-friendly.

The team behind ARAXNI consists of five postgraduate students and one undergraduate student in life sciences at the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the University of Iceland: Snorri Björn Magnússon, Mikael Norðquist, Eneka Abel Sigurðardóttir, Waqas Ahmad, Heiðrún Inga Guðmundsdóttir, and Rökkvi Birgisson.

A childhood interest becomes a startup

The origins of the project can be traced back to Mikael Norðquist’s childhood fascination with spiders. As a child and teenager, Mikael avidly read the Icelandic science magazine 'Lifandi vísindi', and once came across an article describing the remarkable properties of spider silk. This sparked his curiosity, especially since he was also a fan of Spider-Man, who has been immortalised in countless comic books and films.

Mikael’s interest in spiders stayed with him, and his final high school project focused on spider silk. “While researching for the project, I read an article by Ingi Agnarsson, professor and lecturer in zoology at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences here at the University of Iceland. I think it was the first scientific paper by an Icelander that I ever read, and it deepened my interest in the subject,” says Mikael.

After graduating from high school, Mikael began studying biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Iceland, where he met his future ARAXNI teammates. In many ways, this was where fate stepped in.

“We like to think that the project was not only created because of an interest in spiders, but also because the right people met at the right place and at the right time,” the group says.

Spider silk has exceptional properties

Spider silk is one of the most extraordinary biomaterials known. It possesses unique characteristics, including high tensile strength, toughness, light weight, and elasticity.

The spider silk used by ARAXNI comes from a spider species discovered in 2010. The silk produced by this species is the strongest biological material ever discovered. Its webs are enormous and often stretch across rivers, and its silk has been compared to super steel with the elasticity of rubber.

“The silk has attracted attention because of its outstanding toughness and strength, and it offers exciting possibilities for the development of new biomaterials. Our goal at ARAXNI is to develop a scalable production of selected silk proteins from this spider species. We will do this by isolating genetic material from the spider, genetically modifying yeast to produce the silk proteins. The proteins are then purified and spun into thread,” explains Snorri.

The project advisor one of those who discovered the silk’s properties

In addition to the six students, the project also involves two advisors: Guðjón Ólafsson, lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at UI, and the previously mentioned Ingi Agnarsson, who unknowingly helped spark Mikael’s childhood fascination with spiders.

Guðjón is co-founder of the biotech startup Gleipnir Bioforge and is therefore highly experienced within Iceland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ingi has nearly 30 years of experience researching spiders worldwide and has discovered numerous new species.

Remarkably, he was one of the scientists involved in the original discovery of the spider and the exceptional properties of its silk ARAXNI intends to use. This further reinforces the ARAXNI team’s belief that the project came about thanks to the right people meeting at the right time.

Third place in an international entrepreneurship competition

ARAXNI has already participated in several startup accelerators and innovation competitions. Their journey began when Guðjón, who was teaching them molecular genetics at the time, introduced part of the group to iGEM, the world’s largest competition in synthetic biology. He also encouraged the students to establish Iceland’s first iGEM team.

“Mikael and Heiðrún signed up and explored several ideas, including cellulose degradation using filamentous fungi and genetically modifying yeast using tardigrade genes so the yeast might potentially survive in space. Eventually, the idea that became ARAXNI was selected: a genetically modified yeast that produces spider silk proteins from the spider that spins the strongest silk known to science,” they explain.

That year, they were unable to secure funding to participate in the iGEM competition, as the registration fee alone exceeded 1 million ISK. Instead, Mikael and Heiðrún took part in the Icelandic innovation competition Snjallræði, where the story of ARAXNI truly began.

“That’s when we realised that in order to get this ambitious project moving, we needed to consider the innovation and business side of it as well. When Snorri and Eneka joined the team as spider specialists and science communicators, the project started coming together and things really began moving,” say Mikael and Heiðrún.

“Later, I travelled to Norway on behalf of ARAXNI to compete in the High North Young Entrepreneur competition in Bodø, where we placed third. It was our first international event, and we’re excited to participate in this year’s iGEM competition in November,” says Snorri.

Participating in accelerators has been invaluable

Since then, the group has participated in several more startup competitions and accelerators. They joined the Icelandic entrepreneurship competition Gulleggið earlier this year and applied the knowledge they had gained through Snjallræði.

“In Snjallræði, the foundation for the business side of the project was formed. That helped us enormously as scientists with limited business backgrounds and set the tone for further development. Our collaboration with KLAK began when we participated in Gulleggið and reached the top ten. There, we received outstanding mentorship that became incredibly important for our vision of the project and our next steps,” they say, adding that participation in Gulleggið gave the project a valuable “golden seal of approval.”

The team is currently participating in Hringiða, a six-week accelerator program for green solutions run by KLAK Icelandic Startups. The accelerator has been extremely important in helping them develop a sustainable business model with positive social impact.

“In Hringiða, we receive mentorship from experts connected to the project, and they have been absolutely invaluable. This process has been incredibly important for us as scientists in helping move the idea out of the laboratory and transform it into a sustainable business model with a clear market-entry strategy, investor connections, and additional experienced advisors both in Iceland and abroad,” they explain.

The group agrees that Iceland’s startup ecosystem is well organised and provides startups with important opportunities to develop ideas, present them publicly, and connect with relevant stakeholders through events such as Iceland Innovation Week and other events held by KLAK Icelandic Startups.

Could increase Iceland’s independence in material production

ARAXNI’s goal is for spider silk to replace various plastics as a realistic and competitive sustainable alternative produced using significantly more environmentally friendly methods.

“The production could make Iceland more independent when it coms to material manufacturing, and the country could also play a larger role within the high-tech textile sector. That is extremely important for an island nation like Iceland during uncertain global times,” says Snorri.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the project could be useful across many sectors, ranging from fisheries to the space industry, wherever sustainable and competitive textiles are needed,” he adds, to which the rest of the team agrees.

For every kilogram of silk used instead of plastic, certain environmental and social benefits can be achieved, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions during production, less plastic pollution, and, consequently, improved ecosystem and human health.

“Our main goal is to become a kind of ‘material platform’ where we can adapt and customise the thread for various demanding conditions and thereby provide a sustainable, biocompatible, and biodegradable alternative as widely as possible,” the group concludes.