Honeybee silk research enables development of smart wound dressings

Researchers from CSIRO and Adelaide University have developed biodegradable films made from engineered honeybee silk that could lead to a new generation of ‘smart’ wound dressings. The research, published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials, indicates the silk film is safe and well-tolerated during the healing process.

Because the silk is recombinant and bioengineered in a laboratory, scientists can modify its protein sequence to introduce advanced features such as targeted drug release or signals that sense infection. A key advantage is that the material is biodegradable; much of the film gradually breaks down within the wound, potentially reducing the need to remove dressings and disturb new tissue.

The project has received a Medical Research Future Fund grant to further develop dressings aimed at preventing infections in chronic wounds. This is particularly significant for Australia, where chronic wounds affect approximately 450,000 people annually and cost the health system over $6 billion each year.