Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Reaches Major Scientific Milestone with Completion of Functional and Living Atlas Gene Library
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("the Company", "Kraig Labs", or "Kraig's"), a world leader in spider silk technology*, today announced a major milestone for Project Atlas, the Company's most ambitious genetic engineering initiative to date. The Company has successfully integrated every planned Project Atlas transgene into living commercial silkworm hosts. This milestone completes the foundational Atlas Gene Library for construction of numerous unique recombinant spider silks.
This milestone represents a major breakthrough for the Company's molecular biology research, genetic engineering, and development. With the Atlas Gene Library now assembled, the Company has entered the next stage of the program focused on developing stable homozygous breeding lines for each Atlas transgene. Project Atlas was designed for specific enhanced properties in strength, toughness, and flexibility that go far beyond the Company's current production line of recombinant spider silk.
Establishing homozygous Atlas lines will provide the foundation for the systematic creation and evaluation of more than 200 potential genetic pairing configurations, potentially resulting in more than 200 distinct exotic fibers.
These combinations will allow researchers to systematically study how individual Atlas technologies perform together and identify the most promising configurations for future development. With more than 200 unique gene combinations, the Company will have an extensive palette of design configurations from which to engineer exotic fibers with novel and cutting-edge material properties. The objective of Project Atlas is the creation of next-generation recombinant silkworm strains with advanced properties, incorporating the complete suite of Atlas genetics.
"Completing the Atlas Gene Library is a defining milestone for Project Atlas," said Dr. Xiaoli Zhang, Chief Scientist of Kraig Labs. "Every planned Atlas transgene has now been established in commercial silkworm hosts, giving us the complete set of genetic building blocks we envisioned when Project Atlas began. Our focus now shifts toward developing homozygous breeding lines and systematic evaluation of the more than 200 possible genetic configurations this library enables. Each step builds upon the last, bringing us closer to understanding the full potential of these technologies."
Project Atlas is a comprehensive genetic engineering initiative capable of combining multiple advanced genetic technologies. It goes far beyond conventional transgenic development efforts that typically focus on individual genetic improvements. The Atlas Gene Library provides the foundation for evaluating how these individual technologies can be assembled into increasingly sophisticated multi-gene recombinant silkworm strains.
The Company believes Project Atlas represents one of the most ambitious genetic engineering initiatives ever undertaken anywhere. Through its Gene Library, Atlas offers more than 200 possible genetic configurations and its ultimate objective: combining the full suite of genes into a single production strain, with unprecedented and targeted material performance characteristics.
As homozygous Atlas lines are established, Kraig Labs will begin systematically creating and evaluating these genetic combinations. This deliberate approach is expected to provide critical insight into how multiple advanced genetic technologies interact and perform together. The knowledge gained through this work will guide the development of future recombinant spider silk technologies and identify the highest-value combinations for future commercial applications.
Project Atlas continues to advance alongside the Company's expanding commercial spider silk production operations. While Kraig Labs executes its aggressive production scale-up strategy, its research and development team continues building the next generation of recombinant spider silk technologies. By advancing commercialization and innovation in parallel, the Company is building both the manufacturing capacity and scientific foundation needed to support long-term growth.
Completion of the Atlas Gene Library marks the beginning of the next phase of Project Atlas. As additional homozygous lines are established and new genetic combinations are evaluated, the Company expects Project Atlas to continue expanding the performance, versatility, and commercial potential of recombinant spider silk.
Kraig Labs believes the successful completion of the Atlas Gene Library further strengthens its leadership position in advanced biomaterials and genetic engineering, creating a foundation for continued innovation and future commercial opportunities.
The Company's leadership in biomaterials was recently spotlighted on the cover of the March 2026 issue of National Geographic, highlighting the growing importance and predominance of our work in scaling spider silk production.
Interested persons can order a copy of National Geographic featuring Kraig Labs at https://ngsingleissues.nationalgeographic.com/natgeo-march-2026.
You can purchase a digital copy of the article directly from National Geographic at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/spider-silk-silkworm-genetic-engineering
For the latest updates on Kraig Labs and its pioneering spider silk technologies, visit www.kraiglabs.com.
For details about recent Kraig Labs advancements, please watch the Company's investor updates at www.kraiglabs.com/videos or on the Company's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@kraigbiocraftlaboratories2270.
To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news
* For a description of our historical leadership in this technology, please follow this link https://www.kraiglabs.com/world-leader/
Kraig Labs Technology is built on a scientifically engineered silkworm, which incorporates key spider silk proteins to produce recombinant spider silk.
About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk-based fiber technologies.
The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information
Statements in this press release about the Company's future and expectations other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that management's expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "estimated," "hopes," "if," "develops," "researching," "research," "pilot," "potential," "could" or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security.
Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, Inc.
(720) 288-8495
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/282548de-075b-4efb-a9ae-64759bf97c83
© Copyright Globe Newswire, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Globe Newswire, Inc.
