Benjamin Schmuck

Driven by a strong curiosity for life sciences and biochemistry, I obtained my Master’s degree in Biochemistry from Uppsala University in 2013. I subsequently pursued a PhD in Biotechnology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), where I investigated the functionalization of protein nanofibrils for biotechnological applications, combining protein engineering and self-assembly to develop functional materials. I defended my PhD in 2018.

In 2019, I joined Karolinska Institutet as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on spider silk proteins and the development of artificial spider silk fibers. In 2024, I returned to SLU as a researcher, supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FORMAS), to continue advancing artificial spider silk.

In 2026, my research was awarded the Global Change Award by the H&M Foundation.

My research advances artificial spider silk from recombinant protein production to functional fibers. I have helped establish high-yield bioreactor processes achieving around 20 g/L protein expression, developed chromatography-free purification methods to reduce processing costs and resource consumption, and contributed to the production of intrinsically colored, fluorescent spider silk fibers. By combining scalable bioprocessing with water-based fiber spinning, my work addresses key technical barriers to manufacturing high-performance, more sustainable fibers for textiles and advanced applications.

Photo: Fluorescent Artificial Spider Silk

H&M Foundations Global Change Award 2026