An object of the present invention is to develop: a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread containing no contaminant while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, having a movable rail having a width smaller than the maximum width between the right and left legs of a bagworm and configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be able to hold with the legs of the bagworm; and a fixator configured to fix a bagworm, wherein the fixator is placed at a position such that the fixed bagworm can hold the movable rail.

A method of producing a transgenic silkworm that spins bagworm silks and producing a large quantity of bagworm silks by transgenic technology is developed and provided. A gene encoding a modified bagworm Fib H and a transgenic silkworm in which the gene is introduced, wherein the gene is obtained by cloning a gene fragment encoding a bagworm Fib H-like polypeptide comprising a partial amino acid sequence of bagworm Fib H, and fusing the gene fragment to a gene fragment encoding silkworm-derived Fib H, are provided.

Provided is a method of producing a long bagworm silk thread, the method comprising a spinning process of making a bagworm having its nest hang its legs on a rail and continuously spin a silk thread along the rail, wherein the rail has a width smaller than the maximum width between the left and right legs when the bagworm used spreads out its legs and wherein the rail is such that the bagworm can hang its legs on the rail, and a collection process of collecting a long silk thread from the rail after the spinning process.

Provided is a method of producing a long bagworm silk thread, the method comprising a spinning process of making a bagworm having its nest hang its legs on a rail and continuously spin a silk thread along the rail, wherein the rail has a width smaller than the maximum width between the left and right legs when the bagworm used spreads out its legs and wherein the rail is such that the bagworm can hang its legs on the rail, and a collection process of collecting a long silk thread from the rail after the spinning process.

The present disclosure provides improved long uniform recombinant protein fibers with desirable physical traits. The present disclosure also provides compositions derived from the long uniform recombinant protein fibers.

The present disclosure provides improved long uniform recombinant protein fibers with desirable physical traits. The present disclosure also provides compositions derived from the long uniform recombinant protein fibers.

The present disclosure provides a system and a method for automated extraction of silk fibroin from silk cocoons. The silk extraction system can include a boiling tank, a rinsing tank, and a rinse bowl attached to a robotic arm. The rinse bowl has a porous bottom surface adapted to retain an extracted silk fibroin. The robotic arm can move the rinse bowl between the boiling tank and the rinsing tank for separate stages of processing. A silk processing algorithm is executed by a processor to automate the process.

A bagworm silk thread spun on a base material was conventionally difficult to be collected, and thus, cannot be utilized. An object of the present invention is to develop and provide a method in which such a bagworm silk thread is peeled off from a base material with a weak force without being damaged and is collected as a thread bundle.

Provided is a method for producing a thread bundle of a bagworm silk thread, including: applying, to a bagworm silk thread spun on the surface of a base material, a wetting liquid which presents a liquid form at least in the range of 20° C. or more and less than 30° C. and does not damage, denature, or dissolve the silk thread; and then separating the bagworm silk thread from the base material.

Provided is a method developed for producing a thread bundle with high efficiency in terms of spun thread collection and without causing mechanical damage to a foothold silk thread spun by a bagworm onto a base material. After a bagworm is placed along with a solvent-soluble base material and allowed to spin the foothold silk thread onto the surface of the base material, the base material is dissolved with a solvent to separate the foothold silk thread therefrom.

Provided is a method developed for producing a thread bundle with high efficiency in terms of spun thread collection and without causing mechanical damage to a foothold silk thread spun by a bagworm onto a base material. After a bagworm is placed along with a solvent-soluble base material and allowed to spin the foothold silk thread onto the surface of the base material, the base material is dissolved with a solvent to separate the foothold silk thread therefrom.