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Pramvadee Y. Wongsaengchantra,
Ph.D. |
Research
Project in WP Laboratory
Sericin-specific
proteinase enzyme
Silk fibres obtained from Bombyx
mori silkworms consist of a major
fibrous protein fibroin, held together
by other gummy proteins called sericin.
Degumming of sericin is necessary
for preparation of soft, shiny, and
whitened silk ready to be dyed, but
the traditional practice, using alkaline
solutions and high temperatures, is
difficult to control. Our project
aims to search in microorganisms for
proteinase(s), which digest sericin,
without pre-treatment of raw silk
fiber and not degrading fibroin. Such
an enzyme will allow new processes
to be developed for degumming silk
under milder conditions.
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Cocoons
from Thai silkworms |
Raw silk
from reelling process |
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Reeling
process removes only
small amount of sericin. |
Traditional
silk degumming:
boiling in alkaline solution |
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Visiting
sericulture workers focused
on “Organic Agriculture” |
Research
Grants:
1. Screening for proteases with silk-sericin
but not silk-fibroin degrading properties
from microorganisms and evaluation
for its capability in silk degumming.
Mahidol University Research Program
Budget 2004-2006.
2. Cloning, expression, and study
of proteases with silk-sericin but
not silk-fibroin degrading properties
for its capability in silk degumming.
Mahidol University Research Program
Budget 2007-2009.
Research
interests:
1. Quality control
a. Quality Qualitative analysis of
silk degumming efficiency
b. Quantitative analysis of silk degumming
efficiency
2. Process development in silk degumming
technology
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