PhD defence Lara Bitar

Keywords: Silk Fibroin, Tobacco plants, Recombinant production, Biomedical applications

"Silk Fibroin Produced in Tobacco for Biomedical Applications"

This thesis explored whether tobacco plants and tobacco cells can be used to produce silk fibroin, the main structural protein found in silk. Silk fibroin is strong and compatible with the human body, making it an attractive material for biomedical applications such as wound healing, tissue repair and the development of medical materials. Traditionally, silk is obtained from silkworms, but genetically modifying plants to produce silk proteins could provide a more sustainable and ethical alternative.

This research demonstrated, for the first time, the production of silk fibroin in tobacco using genetic engineering and biotechnology. It also explored strategies for joining smaller protein building blocks together to create larger silk proteins.

Overall, the thesis highlights the potential of plants as biological factories for producing silk-based materials, while also identifying important challenges that need to be addressed before this approach can be successfully applied on a larger industrial scale.

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