This silk story has a protein twist

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Hello reader,

One of the things that have surprised me most in Vietnam is catgut embedding therapy. It’s an acupuncture method that involves inserting protein made from animal intestines into the body.

The treatment’s name alone may make some squeamish, but I know a few folks who swear by its effectiveness in alleviating muscle pain. So who am I to judge?

There are all sorts of new and wonderful uses for naturally occurring materials in our world, thanks to the advancement of technology.

Just take a look at Indian startup Loopworm, which is betting that its tech will soon help us make life-saving vaccines using a protein from silkworms. Read on to find out how.

Today we look at:

• Loopworm’s insect protein that can be used for vaccines
• The hiring discrimination lawsuit TSMC faces in the US
• Other newsy highlights such as Singapore-based AI logistics startup Portcast’s funding and the US sanctions hitting Chinese chip firms hard

Premium summary

Loopworm’s vaccine push

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Bangalore-based biotech firm Loopworm is tapping into India’s well-established silkworm industry for something other than fashion: insect protein.

The firm currently sells its products to makers of farm feed and pet food in India, but it has ambitions to venture into biopharmaceuticals.

• How the sausage is made: Loopworm’s technology “cures” the insects using heat, steam, and water to extract a substance that has protein content. While currently used just for animal food, the firm has plans to use silkworms as processing material for a cheaper form of “recombinant protein,” which is used to develop vaccines.
• Sustainability edge: The ingredients Loopworm produces for farm and pet food suppliers cost roughly the same as traditional alternatives but are more sustainable, according to co-founder Ankit Alok Bagaria. For example, insect protein can replace fishmeal, a common animal feed ingredient that contributes to overfishing.
• First pet food, next vaccines?: Loopworm is raising funds for a series A round, which the firm expects to close at less than US$10 million. The company plans to use part of the proceeds for vaccine R&D. Some vaccine manufacturers already use recombinant proteins produced using enzymes and fungi, but Bagaria says his team has developed a process using silkworms that is cheaper.

Read more: This startup wants cash to turn silkworms into vaccines

A chippy lawsuit

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