Silk Lab is home to the ETHNO Research Programme, our ongoing study into the wild silk moth species, including Eri and Muga, that sit at the heart of endemic silk-producing traditions in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and the landscapes we work within.

As climate change reshapes the forest and farm ecosystems on which these species depend. Shifting temperatures, rainfall patterns and host plant availability are already placing pressure on traditional sericulture across the region. This lab is building a deeper, evidence-based understanding of how these species can remain resilient and viable in the face of this changing climate, combining field ecology with molecular-level study to assess genetic diversity and adaptive capacity; work that will inform how we steward these silk traditions for the decades ahead.

The Silk Lab works closely with Rabha, Khasi and Garo rearing households, whose knowledge shapes every stage of the study, and by bridging this with molecular science, we aim to honour the traditions at the heart of Kamrup-Khasi’s wild silk landscapes.

For more information on the ETHNO and Wild Silk Research Programme, please write to us.