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Where to find this in the Library
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You may access the physical version of this item by going to the Reading Room Reference Desk. Please provide the library staff with either the title and location of this item or the item's catalog call number.
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Identifier
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JML.SphexClub_Frantz_20260122
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Title
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Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush
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Description
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Text of a lecture delivered to the Sphex Club on January 22, 2026. This SPHEX presentation examines the history, biology, production, and future potential of silk. Beginning with silk’s small role in global textiles compared with synthetic fibers, the speaker explains how silkworms, especially Bombyx mori, became uniquely domesticated for silk production. The talk describes the silkworm life cycle, cocoon harvesting, sericulture’s origins in ancient China, and the spread of silk technology along the Silk Road into Europe and the Americas. It also details the labor-intensive process of reeling and weaving silk and the modern automation led by China. The presentation then shifts to cutting-edge research involving silk protein fibroin, highlighting its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and applications in medicine, manufacturing, food preservation, sensors, adhesives, and vaccine delivery, including genetic engineering and synthetic biological production of silk proteins.
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Date
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22 January 2026
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topic
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silk, sericulture, Bombyx mori, silkworm, fibroin, sericin, Silk Road, mulberry trees, cocoon, spider silk, textiles, China, pheromones, silk production, biodegradable materials, biocompatibility, genetic engineering, CRISPR, vaccine delivery, nanotechnology
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Location
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Lynchburg, Virginia
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Digital Format
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pdf
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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Sphex Club (Lynchburg, Va.)
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Repository
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George M. Jones Library Association
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Rights
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Frantz, David W.
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George M. Jones Library Association
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Rights Holder
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George M. Jones Library Association
