AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION OF FIBERS SUCH AS PLANT-DERIVED COTTON, HEMP, FLAX AND ANIMAL-DERIVED SILK AND WOOL REQUIRES VAST AMOUNTS OF ARABLE LAND, WATER, FERTILIZERS, HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, FACILITIES, AND HUMAN RESOURCES. THE LABORIOUS PRODUCTION PROCESS, LOW PROFIT MARGINS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS RELATED TO TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL FIBER PRODUCTION HAVE MOTIVATED ENGINEERING OF NOVEL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES TO CONVERT ABUNDANT AND OTHERWISE WASTED AGRICULTURAL BIOMASS (E.G. CORN STOVER, WHEAT STRAW, ETC.) INTO FIBERS. A UNIQUE AND PROMISING ROUTE IS TO CONVERT AGRICULTURAL WASTE BIOMASS INTO SPIDER SILK-BASED FIBERS USING ENGINEERED MICROBES. FERMENTATIVE MICROBIAL CONVERSION OFFERS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES OVER EXISTING AGRICULTURAL FIBER PRODUCTION, INCLUDING HIGH THEORETICAL CONVERSION YIELD AND PRODUCTIVITY, DRASTICALLY REDUCED RESOURCE USE, AND TUNABLE FIBER MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE.BUILDING FROM OUR PRELIMINARY RESULTS IN MICROBIAL PRODUCTION OF HIGH-STRENGTH SPIDER SILK FIBERS ANDHYBRID SPIDROINS, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A SIMPLE MICROBIAL PROCESS TO PRODUCE NOVEL, STRENGTH- AND SOLUBILITY-ENHANCED SILK FIBERS FROM INEXPENSIVE AGRICULTURAL WASTE BIOMASS. A COMBINATION OF PROTEIN ENGINEERING, MICROBIAL GENETIC ENGINEERING, METABOLIC ENGINEERING, AS WELL AS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY APPROACHES WILL BE EMPLOYED. COMPLETING THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE BOTH PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF RECOMBINANT SPIDER SILKS, PROVIDING A NOVEL PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH PERFORMANCE AGRICULTURAL FIBERS.