Engineering the Future of Silk Materials through Advanced Manufacturing

Abstract

Silk is a natural fiber renowned for its outstanding mechanical properties that have enabled the manufacturing of ultralight and ultrastrong textiles. Recent advances in silk processing and manufacturing have underpinned a re‐interpretation of silk from textiles to technological materials. Here, it is argued that silk materials—optimized by selective pressure to work in the environment at the biotic–abiotic interface—can be harnessed by human micro‐ and nanomanufacturing technology to impart new functionalities and opportunities. A critical overview of recent progress in silk technology is presented with emphasis on high‐tech applications enabled by recent innovations in multilevel modifications, multiscale manufacturing, and multimodal characterization of silk materials. These advances have enabled successful demonstrations of silk materials across several disciplines, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, implantable medical devices, and biodissolvable/degradable devices. Keywords: silk fabrication; silk functionalization; silk materials