BANGKOK, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at Chulalongkorn University are redefining the role of Thai silk by developing silk protein into a versatile platform for medical products, aiming to reduce Thailand's reliance on imported biomaterials while creating sustainable income for farmers.
The Silklife research project, led by Associate Professor Dr. Juthamas Ratanavaraporn of the Faculty of Engineering, converts silk protein into various medical applications, including pain-relief and sleep-aid patches, artificial tissues, and injectable joint gels. The initiative addresses a key challenge facing Thailand's rapidly expanding medical industry, which still depends heavily on imported materials such as collagen and hyaluronic acid.
Thai silk, traditionally valued as a cultural heritage textile, possesses unique biomedical properties. Its primary protein, fibroin, is naturally strong, biocompatible, and safely degrades into amino acids in the body. Unlike silk from other countries, Thai silk has a natural golden hue and a hydrophobic molecular structure, enabling it to bind effectively with certain drug compounds and making it suitable for targeted drug delivery systems.
The Silklife project adopts a comprehensive approach spanning the entire value chain. The research team established an organic silkworm farming model on five rai of land in Ratchaburi province, certified under Thailand's organic agriculture standards. Controlled, closed-system rearing facilities—certified under Thai Agricultural Standard 8203—ensure consistent quality year-round. Contract farmers are trained to follow strict operating procedures to minimize contamination.
High-quality cocoons are processed at a pilot plant meeting ISO 13485 manufacturing standards and ISO 10993 medical safety standards. Achieving medical-grade silk protein requires three to four years of development from upstream farming to midstream processing.
Initial products focus on external use to build safety and market confidence, including hydrogel skin patches that release herbal pain-relief compounds for up to eight hours, and CBD sleep patches designed as an alternative to high-dose oral administration. More advanced applications include biodegradable scaffolds for dental and tissue regeneration and injectable silk-based joint gels now entering early-stage clinical trials at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
Beyond medical innovation, the project delivers economic impact. Participating farmers can sell medical-grade silk cocoons at prices several times higher than conventional market rates. Researchers emphasize that Silklife's platform approach allows a single material to be developed into dozens of products, positioning Thai silk as a competitive, homegrown alternative in global medical markets.
For more information, visit www.enginelife.co.th
Read the full article at: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/285235/
About Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University has made the world's top 50 university list for employment outcomes, which reflects both the high employment rate and work ability of Chula graduates. The university is also listed as the best in Thailand for the 15th Consecutive Year (since 2009), according to the newly released QS World University Rankings 2024, putting Chula at 211th in the world, up from 244th last year.
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** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Silklife: Chula Researchers Transform Thai Silk into Medical Innovation
SINGAPORE, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Spark Math ("Spark" or "the Company"), a global leader in interactive small group classes for students from Pre-K through elementary school, has launched its upgraded Peak Performance Class.
The program features a comprehensive enhancement across the Singapore Math curriculum, a teaching team of NUS- and NTU-trained educators, and full integration of the authentic Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach.
The upgraded program enables students worldwide to access Singapore-style math from home, replicating the pedagogy, instructional flow, and classroom practices traditionally delivered in Singapore schools. The initiative reflects Spark Math's commitment to expanding access to high-quality mathematics education through proven pedagogy and education technology.
The upgraded Peak Performance Classes centre on the CPA teaching approach, a globally recognised pathway for developing mathematical understanding at the primary level. CPA guides students through a three-stage cognitive progression, beginning with concrete manipulation of objects, advancing to pictorial representation, and culminating in abstract reasoning. The approach is widely adopted across over 70 countries and regions and has been validated by multiple academic studies demonstrating positive effects on learning motivation and achievement.
CPA is fully embedded across lessons in Spark Math classrooms with course design, instructional sequencing, and digital learning tools set up to ensure students consistently experience the CPA progression as they become more familiar and comfortable with mathematical concepts.
Travis Jin, Vice President at Spark Education Group, shared: "Every child deserves the opportunity to learn world-class mathematics. By systematically bringing Singapore's CPA teaching approach into Spark Math classrooms, we are taking an important step toward making high-quality education more accessible globally and reshaping how students understand mathematics."
To ensure an authentic learning experience, Spark Math has designed its online classrooms to mirror offline CPA-based instruction. Lessons follow teaching workflows similar to Singapore classroom styles, and interactive digital tools, visual models, and structured problem-solving activities replicate hands-on learning environments. Instructional visuals guide students through concrete operations, pictorial modelling, and abstract deduction, supporting conceptual mastery over traditional rote calculation.
Teaching delivery is supported by a professional instructor team trained in Singapore-style pedagogy. Educators follow unified teaching standards and quality benchmarks, ensuring consistency across classes and markets while maintaining fidelity to the CPA methodology. The launch comes as Singapore-style math and CPA-based instruction continue to gain recognition as reference standards in global mathematics education. As schools and families increasingly seek effective, research-backed approaches to numeracy development, CPA's emphasis on conceptual understanding and structured thinking has positioned it as a leading instructional framework.
Through the upgraded Peak Performance Classes, Spark Math aims to extend its international teaching footprint while addressing barriers of geography and access. By combining pedagogy grounded in classroom research with education technology, the platform supports broader participation in high-quality learning experiences and promotes equitable access to effective math instruction.
The upgraded Peak Performance Classes are available globally, with additional teaching resources and visual materials designed to support CPA-based learning across different age groups and proficiency levels.
For more information about Spark Math and the Peak Performance Classes, visit https://www.sparkedu.com.
About Spark Education Group
Founded in 2017, Spark Education Group is headquartered in Singapore and has served close to 750,000 students worldwide. Its portfolio of education brands combines research-based pedagogy with technology to improve the learning experience and educational outcomes for students around the world.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Spark Math Launches Fully Integrated CPA-Based Peak Performance Classes for Young Math Learners Globally
Spark Math Launches Fully Integrated CPA-Based Peak Performance Classes for Young Math Learners Globally
Spark Math Launches Fully Integrated CPA-Based Peak Performance Classes for Young Math Learners Globally
