Synthetic Biology's Sustainable Fabrics and Dyes

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Synthetic Biology's Sustainable Fabrics and
Dyes As we all know, the fashion industry is
responsible for 20 percent of global carbon
emissions, and it is eventually more than sea and
air transport combined. However, the technology
and fashion industry have been droning pretty
lately about the high-tech fabrics obtained from
biomaterials and genetically engineered
microorganisms.
Furthermore, we would like to get into a detailed
discussion about this.
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Dyes are made out of microorganisms Since the
past days, textile colors were pretty hard to
find, which has been a significant source of
revenue in local economics. However, the example
of crimson and indigo has an exciting story to
tell. You may not know, but DNA synthesizer is
not directly but has a lot to do with the
revenue-boosting of this fashion industry.
Crimson is mainly produced in Mediterranean
countries and sold around Europe. On the other
hand, indigo is produced in Peru, but it is
found in China and worldwide.
The true revolution in the textile industry
arrived in 1856. William Perkin has accidentally
synthesized the mauve color in his lab, and
thats where it all started, as per the source.
Nowadays, more than 3,700 dyes can possibly be
found, and of course, the new Glen Research has
been providing a wide range of reagents for
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synthesis, modification, labeling. Hence, the
whole process has become easier, and
availability has increased. There is a problem
too the dye production, especially the dyeing
of textile, has toxic byproducts, uses harsh
conditions, and consumes a lot of water and
energy. So, a paradigm shift is required to make
these processes greener, and hopefully,
synthetic biology will have a proper
solution. The main source of dyeing pigments was
insects and plants, and thats why it was
costly. The limited supply often became another
reason behind the price tag. However, synthetic
biology allows the transfer of metabolic
pathways as well as protein production from one
organism to another. So, it is very much possible
to engineer easily grown yeasts and bacteria in
terms of producing colorants. What About New
Materials? As we highlighted, synthetic biology
solves the problems and deals with all
obstructions in a better way. Dyeing and pigments
are one part of the problem. Plant fibers such
as cotton are mostly used for clothes that have
a non-negligible carbon footprint. Synthetic
fibers derived from fossil fuels are primary
contributors to the microplastic problem. It is
essential to find easy-to-handle material,
durable, biodegradable, and environment-friendly.
Focusing on cutting off the cost has become
necessary to meet everyones expectations, and
there is synthetic biology will make a notable
difference.
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Eventually, the sustainability problem is
pressing, and the technology is there too, so
why can not we find biotech clothes in the local
retailer? We think the cost is playing a major
role in this. Synthetic biology is trying to
make it less expensive, and the cost will be
decreased soon. Also, biotech clothing is not at
all waste- free or carbon-neutral, but the
consumption will be less. To Know More Visit
www.txbio.co