Textination Newsline

The University of Borås, Aalborg University Business School and Circular Innovation Lab have just started the 'North-South Circular Value Chains Within Textiles' project - an explorative project that aims at bridging textile brands in the Nordics with a strong focus on sustainability with innovative producers in the South.

Focus areas are Circular Value Chains (CVCs), Circular and resource-efficient textiles economy, Workwear and technical clothing, Sectors such as construction, energy, electronics and IT, plastics, textiles, retail and metals.

Made possible by a grant from the Interreg ÖKS programme, the first step is to create a specific economic, legal and technological framework allowing Scandinavian workwear companies to enter into close collaboration on circular solutions in the overall textile value chain and to prepare, and adapt their global value chains to the upcoming EU regulations on circular economy.

Recently, the consortium partners convened for an initial meeting at The Swedish School of Textiles to discuss the project framework, which is a feasibility study intended to lead to a multi-year project involving workwear companies in the Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak (ÖKS) region, including their supply chains in Asia.

Kim Hjerrild, Strategic Partnerships Lead at the Danish think tank Circular Innovation Lab, Copenhagen, explained: "The goal is to assist workwear producers in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in becoming more sustainable through circular product design, production, and service concepts. We are pleased to have The Swedish School of Textiles lead the project as they have a strong tradition of collaborating with textile companies."

Complex branch
The decision to focus specifically on workwear stems from it being a complex part of the textile industry, demanding strict standards, certifications, safety aspects, and specific functions depending on the application area, such as specific high-performance environments, healthcare, and hospitality. "To future-proof their operations, companies need to become more resource efficient and circular by producing durable and long lasting workwear that can be repaired and reused. Additionally, they must reduce their carbon footprint per product, as well as minimize problematic chemical usage, and increasingly use recycled materials" explained Kim Hjerrild.

Wants to provide companies with tools and knowledge
Apoorva Arya, founder and CEO of Circular Innovation Lab, elaborates: "Our first and primary goal is to equip Scandinavian workwear companies with tools and knowledge in order to comply with the upcoming EU directives and policies. This includes regulations on product-specific design requirements to labour conditions for employees, human rights, all the way from production to third-party suppliers. Ensuring these companies, especially their suppliers, can transition to a circular supply chain, and navigate the legislative landscape, while guaranteeing competitiveness in the global market."

Focus on new structures
Rudrajeet Pal, Professor of Textile Management at The Swedish School of Textiles, is pleased that the university can be the coordinator of the project. "From the perspective of my research group, this
is incredibly interesting given the focus on the examination and development of ‘new’ supply chain and business model structures that would enable sustainable value generation in textile enterprises, industry, and for the environment and society at large. We have conducted several projects where such global north-south value chain focus is eminent, and this time particularly in workwear companies’ value chain between Scandinavia and Asia. We are delighted to contribute expertise and our experience of working internationally."

About the pre-project North-South Circular Value Chains Within Textiles, NSCirTex
The project aims to support the circular transition in the Nordics by setting up a shared governance model to enable pre-competitive collaboration and the design of circular value chains between Scandinavian workwear companies in the ÖKS-region and producers in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Türkiye.

The next step is to achieve a multi-year main project where workwear companies with their suppliers in Asian countries, can test tailored models for shared governance as a way to develop practical circular solutions, such as post-consumer recycling, circular material procurement, develop safe and resource efficient circular products, enhance social sustainability and due diligence, among others. The main project will thus develop solutions to reduce material footprint, and resource usage while generating both commercial viability and prepare for new regulation, reporting, and accountability.

Partners in this feasibility study: University of Borås, Aalborg University Business School, and Circular Innovation Lab. The feasibility study is funded by the EU through the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak European Regional Development Fund.

In a world first for the fashion industry, in October 2020 twelve pioneering players came together to break new ground by demonstrating a circular model for commercial garment production. Over more than three years, textile waste was collected and sorted, and regenerated into a new, man-made cellulosic fiber that looks and feels like cotton – a “new cotton” – using Infinited Fiber Company’s textile fiber regeneration technology.
 
The pioneering New Cotton Project launched in October 2020 with the aim of demonstrating a circular value chain for commercial garment production. Through-out the project the consortium worked to collect and sort end-of-life textiles, which using pioneering Infinited Fiber technology could be regenerated into a new man-made cellulosic fibre called Infinna™ which looks and feels just like virgin cotton. The fibres were then spun into yarns and manufactured into different types of fabric which were designed, produced, and sold by adidas and H&M, making the adidas by Stella McCartney tracksuit and a H&M printed jacket and jeans the first to be produced through a collaborative circular consortium of this scale, demonstrating a more innovative and circular way of working for the fashion industry.
 
As the project completes in March 2024, the consortium highlights eight key factors they have identified as fundamental to the successful scaling of fibre-to-fibre recycling.

The wide scale adoption of circular value chains is critical to success
Textile circularity requires new forms of collaboration and open knowledge exchange among different actors in circular ecosystems. These ecosystems must involve actors beyond traditional supply chains and previously disconnected industries and sectors, such as the textile and fashion, waste collection and sorting and recycling industries, as well as digital technology, research organisations and policymakers. For the ecosystem to function effectively, different actors need to be involved in aligning priorities, goals and working methods, and to learn about the others’ needs, requirements and techno-economic possibilities. From a broader perspective, there is also a need for a more fundamental shift in mindsets and business models concerning a systemic transition toward circularity, such as moving away from the linear fast fashion business models. As well as sharing knowledge openly within such ecosystems, it also is important to openly disseminate lessons learnt and insights in order to help and inspire other actors in the industry to transition to the Circular Economy.

Circularity starts with the design process
When creating new styles, it is important to keep an end-of-life scenario in mind right from the beginning. As this will dictate what embellishments, prints, accessories can be used. If designers make it as easy as possible for the recycling process, it has the bigger chance to actually be feedstock again. In addition to this, it is important to develop business models that enable products to be used as long as possible, including repair, rental, resale, and sharing services.

Building and scaling sorting and recycling infrastructure is critical
In order to scale up circular garment production, there is a need for technological innovation and infrastructure development in end-of-use textiles collection, sorting, and the mechanical pre-processing of feedstock. Currently, much of the textiles sorting is done manually, and the available optical sorting and identification technologies are not able to identify garment layers, complex fibre blends, or which causes deviations in feedstock quality for fibre-to-fibre recycling. Feedstock preprocessing is a critical step in textile-to-textile recycling, but it is not well understood outside of the actors who actually implement it. This requires collaboration across the value chain, and it takes in-depth knowledge and skill to do it well. This is an area that needs more attention and stronger economic incentives as textile-to-textile recycling scales up.

Improving quality and availability of data is essential
There is still a significant lack of available data to support the shift towards a circular textiles industry. This is slowing down development of system level solutions and economic incentives for textile circulation. For example, quantities of textiles put on the market are often used as a proxy for quantities of post-consumer textiles, but available data is at least two years old and often incomplete. There can also be different textile waste figures at a national level that do not align, due to different methodologies or data years. This is seen in the Dutch 2018 Mass Balance study reports and 2020 Circular Textile Policy Monitoring Report, where there is a 20% difference between put on market figures and measured quantities of post-consumer textiles collected separately and present in mixed residual waste. With the exception of a few good studies such as Sorting for Circularity Europe and ReFashion’s latest characterization study, there is almost no reliable information about fibre composition in the post-consumer textile stream either. Textile-to-textile recyclers would benefit from better availability of more reliable data. Policy monitoring for Extended Producer Responsibility schemes should focus on standardising reporting requirements across Europe from post-consumer textile collection through their ultimate end point and incentivize digitization so that reporting can be automated, and high-quality textile data becomes available in near-real time.

The need for continuous research and development across the entire value chain
Overall, the New Cotton Project’s findings suggest that fabrics incorporating Infinna™ fibre offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional cotton and viscose fabrics, while maintaining similar performance and aesthetic qualities. This could have significant implications for the textile industry in terms of sustainability and lower impact production practices. However, the project also demonstrated that the scaling of fibre-to-fibre recycling will continue to require ongoing research and development across the entire value chain. For example, the need for research and development around sorting systems is crucial. Within the chemical recycling process, it is also important to ensure the high recovery rate and circulation of chemicals used to limit the environmental impact of the process. The manufacturing processes also highlighted the benefit for ongoing innovation in the processing method, requiring technologies and brands to work closely with manufacturers to support further development in the field.

Thinking beyond lower impact fibres
The New Cotton Project value chain third party verified LCA reveals that the cellulose carbamate fibre, and in particular when produced with a renewable electricity source, shows potential to lower environmental impacts compared to conventional cotton and viscose. Although, it's important to note that this comparison was made using average global datasets from Ecoinvent for cotton and viscose fibres, and there are variations in the environmental performance of primary fibres available on the market. However, the analysis also highlights the importance of the rest of the supply chain to reduce environmental impact. The findings show that even if we reduce the environmental impacts by using recycled fibres, there is still work to do in other life cycle stages. For example; garment quality and using the garment during their full life span are crucial for mitigating the environmental impacts per garment use.
          
Citizen engagement
The EU has identified culture as one of the key barriers to the adoption of the circular economy within Europe. An adidas quantitative consumer survey conducted across three key markets during the project revealed that there is still confusion around circularity in textiles, which has highlighted the importance of effective citizen communication and engagement activities.

Cohesive legislation
Legislation is a powerful tool for driving the adoption of more sustainable and circular practices in the textiles industry. With several pieces of incoming legislation within the EU alone, the need for a cohesive and harmonised approach is essential to the successful implementation of policy within the textiles industry. Considering the link between different pieces of legislation such as Extended Producer Responsibility and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, along with their corresponding timeline for implementation will support stakeholders from across the value chain to prepare effectively for adoption of these new regulations.

The high, and continuously growing demand for recycled materials implies that all possible end-of-use textiles must be collected and sorted. Both mechanical and chemical recycling solutions are needed to meet the demand. We should also implement effectively both paths; closed-loop (fibre-to-fibre) and open -loop recycling (fibre to other sectors). There is a critical need to reconsider the export of low-quality reusable textiles outside the EU. It would be more advantageous to reuse them in Europe, or if they are at the end of their lifetime recycle these textiles within the European internal market rather than exporting them to countries where demand is often unverified and waste management inadequate.

Overall, the learnings spotlight the need for a holistic approach and a fundamental mindset shift in ways of working for the textiles industry. Deeper collaboration and knowledge exchange is central to developing effective circular value chains, helping to support the scaling of innovative recycling technologies and increase availability of recycled fibres on the market. The further development and scaling of collecting and sorting, along with the need to address substantial gaps in the availability of quality textile flow data should be urgently prioritised. The New Cotton Project has also demonstrated the potential of recycled fibres such as Infinna™ to offer a more sustainable option to some other traditional fibres, but at the same time highlights the importance of addressing the whole value chain holistically to make greater gains in lowering environmental impact. Ongoing research and development across the entire value chain is also essential to ensure we can deliver recycled fabrics at scale in the future.

The New Cotton Project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101000559.

 

Skin injuries caused by prolonged pressure often occur in people who are unable to change their position independently – such as sick newborns in hospitals or elderly people. Thanks to successful partnerships with industry and research, Empa scientists are now launching two smart solutions for pressure sores.

If too much pressure is applied to our skin over a long period of time, it becomes damaged. Populations at high risk of such pressure injuries include people in wheelchairs, newborns in intensive care units and the elderly. The consequences are wounds, infections and pain.

Treatment is complex and expensive: Healthcare costs of around 300 million Swiss francs are incurred every year. "In addition, existing illnesses can be exacerbated by such pressure injuries," says Empa researcher Simon Annaheim from the Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles laboratory in St. Gallen. According to Annaheim, it would be more sustainable to prevent tissue damage from occurring in the first place. Two current research projects involving Empa researchers are now advancing solutions: A pressure-equalizing mattress for newborns in intensive care units and a textile sensor system for paraplegics and bedridden people are being developed.

Optimally nestled at the start of life
The demands of our skin are completely different depending on age: In adults, the friction of the skin on the lying surface, physical shear forces in the tissue and the lack of breathability of textiles are the main risk factors. In contrast, the skin of newborns receiving intensive care is extremely sensitive per se, and any loss of fluid and heat through the skin can become a problem. "While these particularly vulnerable babies are being nursed back to health, the lying situation should not cause any additional complications," says Annaheim. He thinks conventional mattresses are not appropriate for newborns with very different weights and various illnesses. Annaheim's team is therefore working with researchers from ETH Zurich, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the University Children's Hospital Zurich to find an optimal lying surface for babies' delicate skin. This mattress should be able to adapt individually to the body in order to help children with a difficult start in life.

In order to do this, the researchers first determined the pressure conditions in the various regions of the newborn's body. "Our pressure sensors showed that the head, shoulders and lower spine are the areas with the greatest risk of pressure sores," says Annaheim. These findings were incorporated into the development of a special kind of air-filled mattress: With the help of pressure sensors and a microprocessor, its three chambers can be filled precisely via an electronic pump so that the pressure in the respective areas is minimized. An infrared laser process developed at Empa made it possible to produce the mattress from a flexible, multi-layered polymer membrane that is gentle on the skin and has no irritating seams.

After a multi-stage development process in the laboratory, the first small patients were allowed to lie on the prototype mattress. The effect was immediately noticeable when the researchers filled the mattress with air to varying degrees depending on the individual needs of the babies: Compared to a conventional foam mattress, the prototype reduced the pressure on the vulnerable parts of the body by up to 40 percent.

Following this successful pilot study, the prototype is now being optimized in the Empa labs. Simon Annaheim and doctoral student Tino Jucker will soon be starting a larger-scale study with the new mattress with the Department of Intensive Care Medicine & Neonatology at University Children's Hospital Zurich.

Intelligent sensors prevent injuries
In another project, Empa researchers are working on preventing so-called pressure ulcer tissue damage in adults. This involves converting the risk factors of pressure and circulatory disorders into helpful warning signals.

If you lie in the same position for a long time, pressure and circulatory problems lead to an undersupply of oxygen to the tissue. While the lack of oxygen triggers a reflex to move in healthy people, this neurological feedback loop can be disrupted in people with paraplegia or coma patients, for example. Here, smart sensors can help to provide early warning of the risk of tissue damage.

In the ProTex project, a team of researchers from Empa, the University of Bern, the OST University of Applied Sciences and Bischoff Textil AG in St. Gallen has developed a sensor system made of smart textiles with associated data analysis in real time. "The skin-compatible textile sensors contain two different functional polymer fibers," says Luciano Boesel from Empa's Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles laboratory in St. Gallen. In addition to pressure-sensitive fibers, the researchers integrated light-conducting polymer fibers (POFs), which are used to measure oxygen. "As soon as the oxygen content in the skin drops, the highly sensitive sensor system signals an increasing risk of tissue damage," explains Boesel. The data is then transmitted directly to the patient or to the nursing staff. This means, for instance, that a lying person can be repositioned in good time before the tissue is damaged.

Patented technology
The technology behind this also includes a novel microfluidic wet spinning process developed at Empa for the production of POFs. It allows precise control of the polymer components in the micrometer range and smoother, more environmentally friendly processing of the fibers. The microfluidic process is one of three patents that have emerged from the ProTex project to date.

Another product is a breathable textile sensor that is worn directly on the skin. The spin-off Sensawear in Bern, which emerged from the project in 2023, is currently pushing ahead with the market launch. Empa researcher Boesel is also convinced: "The findings and technologies from ProTex will enable further applications in the field of wearable sensor technology and smart clothing in the future."

Tiny external structures in the wax coating of blueberries give them their blue colour, researchers at the University of Bristol can reveal. This applies to lots of fruits that are the same colour including damsons, sloes and juniper berries.

In the study, published in Science Advances, researchers show why blueberries are blue despite the dark red colour of the pigments in the fruit skin. Their blue colour is instead provided by a layer of wax that surrounds the fruit which is made up of miniature structures that scatter blue and UV light. This gives blueberries their blue appearance to humans and blue-UV to birds. The chromatic blue-UV reflectance arises from the interaction of the randomly arranged crystal structures of the epicuticular wax with light.

Rox Middleton, Research Fellow at Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, explained: “The blue of blueberries can’t be ‘extracted’ by squishing – because it isn’t located in the pigmented juice that can be squeezed from the fruit. That was why we knew that there must be something strange about the colour.

“So we removed the wax and re-crystallised it on card and in doing so we were able to create a brand new blue-UV coating.”

The ultra-thin colourant is around two microns thick, and although less reflective, it’s visibly blue and reflects UV well, possibly paving the way for new colorant methods.

“It shows that nature has evolved to use a really neat trick, an ultrathin layer for an important colorant," added Rox.

Most plants are coated in a thin layer of wax which has multiple functions, many of them that scientists still don’t understand. They know that it can be very effective as a hydrophobic, self-cleaning coating.

However until now, researchers did not know how important the structure was for visible colouration.

Now the team plan to look at easier ways of recreating the coating and applying it. This could lead to a more sustainable, biocompatible and even edible UV and blue-reflective paint.

Furthermore these coatings could have the same multiple functions as natural biological ones that protect plants.

Rox added: “It was really interesting to find that there was an unknown coloration mechanism right under our noses, on popular fruits that we grow and eat all the time.

“It was even more exciting to be able to reproduce that colour by harvesting the wax to make a new blue coating that no-one’s seen before.

“Building all that functionality of this natural wax into artificially engineered materials is the dream!”

Composites Germany - Results of the 22^nd Composites Market Survey

• Critical assessment of the current business situation
• Future expectations brighten
• Investment climate remains subdued
• Different expectations of application industries
• Growth drivers with slight shifts
• Composites index points in different directions

For the 22^nd time, Composites Germany has collected current key figures on the market for fiber-reinforced plastics. All member companies of the supporting associations of Composites Germany: AVK and Composites United as well as the associated partner VDMA were surveyed.
In order to ensure that the different surveys can be compared without any problems, no fundamental changes were made to the survey. Once again, mainly qualitative data was collected in relation to current and future market developments.

Critical assessment of the current business situation
After consistently positive trends were seen in the assessment of the current business situation in 2021, this has slipped since 2022. There is still no sign of a trend reversal in the current survey. The reasons for the negative sentiment are manifold and were already evident in the last survey.

At present, politicians do not seem to be able to create a more positive environment for the industry with appropriate measures. Overall, Germany in particular, but also Europe, is currently experiencing a very difficult market environment.

However, the main drivers of the current difficult situation are likely to be the persistently high energy and commodity/raw material prices. In addition, there are still problems in individual areas of the logistics chains, for example on the main trade/container routes, as well as a cautious consumer climate. A slowdown in global trade and uncertainties in the political arena are currently fueling the negative mood in the market.

Despite rising registration figures, the automotive industry, the most important application area for composites, has not yet returned to its former volume. The construction industry, the second most important key area of application, is currently in crisis. Although the order books are still well filled, new orders are often failing to materialize. High interest rates and material costs coupled with the high cost of living are having a particularly negative impact on private construction, but public construction is also currently unable to achieve the targets it has set itself. According to the ZDB (Zentralverband Deutsches Baugewerbe), the forecasts in this important sector remain gloomy: "The decline in the construction industry is continuing. Turnover will fall by 5.3% in real terms this year and we expect a further 3% drop next year. Residential construction remains responsible for the decline, which will slump by 11% in real terms this year and continue its downward trajectory at -13% in 2024."

It is not only the assessment of the general business situation that remains pessimistic. The situation of their own companies also continues to be viewed critically. The picture is particularly negative for Germany. Almost 50% of respondents are critical of the current business situation in Germany. The view of global business and Europe is somewhat more positive. Here, "only" 40% and 35% of respondents respectively assess the situation rather negatively.

Future expectations brighten
Despite the generally rather subdued assessment of the business situation, many of those surveyed appear to be convinced that the mood is improving, at least in Europe. When asked about their assessment of future general business development, the values for Europe and the world are more optimistic than in the last survey. The survey participants do not currently expect the situation in Germany to improve.

Respondents were more optimistic about their own company's future expectations for Europe and the global market.

The participants seem to be assuming a moderate short to medium-term recovery of the global economy. The forecasts are more optimistic than the assessment of the current situation. It is striking that the view of the German region is more critical in relation to Europe and the global economy. 28% of those surveyed expect the general market situation in Germany to develop negatively. Only 13% expect the current situation to improve. The figures for Europe and the world are better.

Investment climate remains subdued
The current rather cautious assessment of the economic situation continues to have an impact on the investment climate.

While 22% of participants in the last survey still assumed an increase in personnel capacity (survey 1/2023 = 40%), this figure is currently only 18%. In contrast, 18% even expect a decrease in personnel.

The proportion of respondents planning to invest in machinery is also declining. While 56% of respondents in the last survey still expected to make such investments, this figure has now fallen to 46%.

Different expectations of application industries
The composites market is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in terms of both materials and applications. In the survey, the participants are asked to give their assessment of the market development of different core areas.

The expectations are extremely varied. The two most important application areas are the mobility and construction/infrastructure sectors. Both are currently undergoing major upheavals or are affected by declines, which is also clearly reflected in the survey. Growth is expected above all in the wind energy and aviation sectors.

Growth drivers with slight shifts
In terms of materials, there has been a change in the assessment of growth drivers. While the respondents in the last 9 surveys always named GRP as the material from which the main growth impetus for the composites sector is to be expected, the main impetus is now once again expected to come from CFRP or across all materials.

There is a slight regional shift. Germany is seen less strongly as a growth driver. In contrast, Europe (excluding Germany) and Asia are mentioned significantly more.

Composites index points in different directions
The numerous negative influences of recent times continue to be reflected in the overall Composites Index. This continues to fall, particularly when looking at the current business situation. On the other hand, there is a slight improvement in expectations for future market development, although this remains at a low level.

The total volume of processed composites in Europe in 2022 was already declining, and a further decline must also be expected for 2023. This is likely to be around 5% again.

It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to counteract the negative trend. Targeted intervention, including by political decision-makers, would be desirable here. However, this cannot succeed without industry/business. Only together will it be possible to maintain and strengthen Germany as a business/industry location. For composites as a material group in general, there are still very good opportunities to expand the market position in both new and existing markets due to the special portfolio of properties. However, the dependency on macroeconomic developments remains. It is now important to develop new market areas through innovation, to consistently exploit opportunities and to work together to further implement composites in existing markets. This can often be achieved better together than alone. With its excellent network, Composites Germany offers a wide range of opportunities.

The next composites market survey will be published in July 2024.

For the first time, researchers have used bacteria to “upcycle” waste polyethylene: Move over Spider-Man: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a strain of bacteria that can turn plastic waste into a biodegradable spider silk with multiple uses.

Their new study marks the first time scientists have used bacteria to transform polyethylene plastic — the kind used in many single-use items — into a high-value protein product.

That product, which the researchers call “bio-inspired spider silk” because of its similarity to the silk spiders use to spin their webs, has applications in textiles, cosmetics, and even medicine.

“Spider silk is nature’s Kevlar,” said Helen Zha, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering and one of the RPI researchers leading the project. “It can be nearly as strong as steel under tension. However, it’s six times less dense than steel, so it’s very lightweight. As a bioplastic, it’s stretchy, tough, nontoxic, and biodegradable.”

All those attributes make it a great material for a future where renewable resources and avoidance of persistent plastic pollution are the norm, Zha said.

Polyethylene plastic, found in products such as plastic bags, water bottles, and food packaging, is the biggest contributor to plastic pollution globally and can take upward of 1,000 years to degrade naturally. Only a small portion of polyethylene plastic is recycled, so the bacteria used in the study could help “upcycle” some of the remaining waste.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the bacteria used in the study, can naturally consume polyethylene as a food source. The RPI team tackled the challenge of engineering this bacteria to convert the carbon atoms of polyethylene into a genetically encoded silk protein. Surprisingly, they found that their newly developed bacteria could make the silk protein at a yield rivaling some bacteria strains that are more conventionally used in biomanufacturing.

The underlying biological process behind this innovation is something people have employed for millennia.

“Essentially, the bacteria are fermenting the plastic. Fermentation is used to make and preserve all sorts of foods, like cheese, bread, and wine, and in biochemical industries it’s used to make antibiotics, amino acids, and organic acids,” said Mattheos Koffas, Ph.D., Dorothy and Fred Chau ʼ71 Career Development Constellation Professor in Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering, and the other researcher leading the project, and who, along with Zha, is a member of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer.

To get bacteria to ferment polyethylene, the plastic is first “predigested,” Zha said. Just like humans need to cut and chew our food into smaller pieces before our bodies can use it, the bacteria has difficulty eating the long molecule chains, or polymers, that comprise polyethylene.

In the study, Zha and Koffas collaborated with researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, who depolymerized the plastic by heating it under pressure, producing a soft, waxy substance. Next, the team put a layer of the plastic-derived wax on the bottoms of flasks, which served as the nutrient source for the bacteria culture. This contrasts with typical fermentation, which uses sugars as the nutrient source.

“It’s as if, instead of feeding the bacteria cake, we’re feeding it the candles on the cake,” Zha said.

Then, as a warming plate gently swirled the flasks’ contents, the bacteria went to work. After 72 hours, the scientists strained out the bacteria from the liquid culture, purified the silk protein, and freeze dried it. At that stage, the protein, which resembled torn up cotton balls, could potentially be spun into thread or made into other useful forms.

“What’s really exciting about this process is that, unlike the way plastics are produced today, our process is low energy and doesn’t require the use of toxic chemicals,” Zha said. “The best chemists in the world could not convert polyethylene into spider silk, but these bacteria can. We’re really harnessing what nature has developed to do manufacturing for us.”

However, before upcycled spider silk products become a reality, the researchers will first need to find ways to make the silk protein more efficiently.

“This study establishes that we can use these bacteria to convert plastic to spider silk. Our future work will investigate whether tweaking the bacteria or other aspects of the process will allow us to scale up production,” Koffas said.

“Professors Zha and Koffas represent the new generation of chemical and biological engineers merging biological engineering with materials science to manufacture ecofriendly products. Their work is a novel approach to protecting the environment and reducing our reliance on nonrenewable resources,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., dean of RPI’s School of Engineering.

The study, which was conducted by first author Alexander Connor, who earned his doctorate from RPI in 2023, and co-authors Jessica Lamb and Massimiliano Delferro with Argonne National Laboratory, is published in the journal “Microbial Cell Factories.”

Researchers led by Keiji Numata at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan, along with colleagues from the RIKEN Pioneering Research Cluster, have succeeded in creating a device that spins artificial spider silk that closely matches what spiders naturally produce. The artificial silk gland was able to re-create the complex molecular structure of silk by mimicking the various chemical and physical changes that naturally occur in a spider’s silk gland. This eco-friendly innovation is a big step towards sustainability and could impact several industries. This study was published January 15 in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Famous for its strength, flexibility, and light weight, spider silk has a tensile strength that is comparable to steel of the same diameter, and a strength to weight ratio that is unparalleled. Added to that, it’s biocompatible, meaning that it can be used in medical applications, as well as biodegradable. So why isn’t everything made from spider silk? Large-scale harvesting of silk from spiders has proven impractical for several reasons, leaving it up to scientists to develop a way to produce it in the laboratory.

Spider silk is a biopolymer fiber made from large proteins with highly repetitive sequences, called spidroins. Within the silk fibers are molecular substructures called beta sheets, which must be aligned properly for the silk fibers to have their unique mechanical properties. Re-creating this complex molecular architecture has confounded scientists for years. Rather than trying to devise the process from scratch, RIKEN scientists took a biomimicry approach. As Numata explains, “in this study, we attempted to mimic natural spider silk production using microfluidics, which involves the flow and manipulation of small amounts of fluids through narrow channels. Indeed, one could say that that the spider’s silk gland functions as a sort of natural microfluidic device.”

The device developed by the researchers looks like a small rectangular box with tiny channels grooved into it. Precursor spidroin solution is placed at one end and then pulled towards the other end by means of negative pressure. As the spidroins flow through the microfluidic channels, they are exposed to precise changes in the chemical and physical environment, which are made possible by the design of the microfluidic system. Under the correct conditions, the proteins self-assembled into silk fibers with their characteristic complex structure.

The researchers experimented to find these correct conditions, and eventually were able to optimize the interactions among the different regions of the microfluidic system. Among other things, they discovered that using force to push the proteins through did not work; only when they used negative pressure to pull the spidroin solution could continuous silk fibers with the correct telltale alignment of beta sheets be assembled.

“It was surprising how robust the microfluidic system was, once the different conditions were established and optimized,” says Senior Scientist Ali Malay, one of the paper’s co-authors. “Fiber assembly was spontaneous, extremely rapid, and highly reproducible. Importantly, the fibers exhibited the distinct hierarchical structure that is found in natural silk fiber.”

The ability to artificially produce silk fibers using this method could provide numerous benefits. Not only could it help reduce the negative impact that current textile manufacturing has on the environment, but the biodegradable and biocompatible nature of spider silk makes it ideal for biomedical applications, such as sutures and artificial ligaments.

“Ideally, we want to have a real-world impact,” says Numata. “For this to occur, we will need to scale-up our fiber-production methodology and make it a continuous process. We will also evaluate the quality of our artificial spider silk using several metrics and make further improvements from there.”

If you’ve ever gotten stitches or had surgery, you may have had a suture. They’re the threads used to close wounds or join tissues together for other purposes.

But did you know that there are different types of sutures which can have an effect on your experience at the doctor or surgeon’s office?

Barbed sutures, for example, can reduce the amount of time you spend on the operating table and lower the likelihood of surgical complications. That type of suture has its roots in the Triangle and is being advanced by students and faculty at the Wilson College of Textiles.

Dr. Gregory Ruff, a nationally-renowned plastic surgeon, first invented the innovative closure in 1991, just down the road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

“I was thinking about the fact that we sew wounds together with a loop and a knot and if you tie it too tight, it can constrict the circulation and kill the tissue in that loop,” Dr. Ruff remembers.

“I was thinking about animals, and a porcupine’s quill came to mind. And the aha moment was, ‘What if we put a quill on one side of the wound and another one on the other side of the wound, so there’s no loop: the barbs go in but they don’t come out?’”

As the name suggests, barbed sutures have small projections shooting out of them that can latch onto tissues: think about barbed wire or a fishing hook. Those “quills,” or barbs, allow the suture to self-anchor. Since no knot is needed to secure the suture, the closure is faster, and the lack of knots and constricting loops promotes healing. This also allows surgeons to schedule more surgeries.

Soon after his aha moment, Dr. Ruff started his own company, Quill Medical, to fabricate these barbed sutures. While he had the medical expertise and a solid business partner, Dr. Ruff was looking for someone who could advise him in terms of the material makeup of the suture. The Wilson College’s Biomedical Textile Research Group, under the direction of Professor Martin King, quickly proved to be the perfect partner.

Using the Wilson College’s labs, King’s graduate students conducted a number of tests on Ruff’s sutures across different types of tissues (such as skin, muscle, etc.). One of those students, Nilesh Ingle, found that the barbed sutures worked best when the angles of the barbs were tailored specifically to the type of tissue being sutured.

Years later, one of King’s current graduate students is building on that research insight.
 
Understanding challenges and innovating solutions
Nearly three decades after the barbed suture’s invention, the majority of surgeons still use conventional sutures despite the advantages documented by researchers and surgeons. Why?

Karuna Nambi Gowri, a fiber and polymer science doctoral student in King’s research group, says it comes down to two reasons. The first of these is resistance to change. Most practicing surgeons learned how to use a suture before barbed sutures became more broadly available.

The second obstacle to the use of barbed sutures is procuring them. Barbed sutures tend to be both expensive and low in supply. That’s because the current process for making them (mechanical and blade-based) is inefficient in terms of both time and resources.

That’s where Nambi Gowri’s research with the Wilson College’s Biomedical Textiles Research Group comes in. She’s developing a faster and cheaper method for making the same quality of barbed suture.

“If I fabricate using a laser, the fabrication time is pretty short compared to a mechanical barbing technique,” Nambi Gowri says.

Moving from a mechanical method to a laser method has another advantage.

“The manipulation of the barbed suture itself is easier using a laser,” she says.

In other words, using the lasers will allow Nambi Gowri to apply the custom barb geometries, or angles, suggested by prior researchers on a commercial scale. These custom geometries will allow the barbed suture to be optimized for the type of tissue it will be connecting.

In addition to the new process, Nambi Gowri is also developing a new suture.

“I’m the first one to actually study Catgut barbed sutures,” she explains.

Catgut was actually one of the earliest materials used to make sutures. The filament is made from tissue taken from an animal’s stomach – especially cattle stomachs – hence the name. While the industry had moved away from this material in favor of synthetic polymers, Nambi Gowri sees the potential for Catgut in barbed sutures because of their quick degradation rate.

“These are useful external wound closures,” she says. “Because our body contains so much collagen and Catgut is made up of 90% collagen, it’s a more suitable polymer that can be used in human tissue.”

Hands-on experience informs research
In the meantime, Nambi Gowri has gained hands-on experience to inform her research by fabricating all of the barbed sutures used in Dr. Ruff’s micro facelift surgeries.

The surgery itself is made possible because of the shape and the material composition of the sutures: poly 4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB). This polymer is already present naturally within our bodies, so sutures made from P4HB are naturally and safely absorbed by the body over time. That means patients don’t have to schedule an appointment after surgery for the sutures to be removed.
 
P4HB also provides the perfect combination of strength and elasticity to hold up the facial tissue until the wound has healed. The barbs, on the other hand, allow for the suture to be placed and stay secure within the skin without the need for large incisions.

“That skin tightens up right away,” Dr. Ruff says of the procedure, which draws patients from across the country. “So I don’t have to remove hair, and I don’t have to put a scar at the hairline.”

“These sutures are not available commercially anywhere in the world. So, to be able to mechanically barb different size sutures in a reliable and consistent manner for use in clinical practice, requires skill, experience and knowledge of quality control,” Professor King says of Nambi Gowri’s work.

This has given Karuna a hands-on understanding of the sutures she’s hoping to improve upon.

She says her fiber and polymer science knowledge has played a key role in helping her approach all sides of her research.

“All the analytical characterization techniques that are used for characterization of sutures – like identifying mechanical properties and measuring tensile strength – is actually from my knowledge of textiles,” she says. “I’m applying my polymer chemistry knowledge  to make sure that the laser doesn’t cause the sutures to degrade, melt or experience thermal damage.”

What’s next?
As she works to patent her designs, Nambi Gowri feels confident that her dissertation will set her up for success in the research and development (R&D) field after graduation.

In the meantime, she’s already finding out about the ways her research can have a broader impact.

“Dr. Dan Duffy, DVM, a surgeon at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is also interested in using barbed sutures to repair torn and failed tendons on his animals, but he finds the cost of buying commercial barbed sutures prohibitively expensive. So we need to collaborate,” King says. “Karuna to the rescue!”

Researchers have trained an artificial intelligence to design the structure of so-called metamaterials with desired mechanical properties for a wide range of applications.

• ETH researchers have used artificial intelligence to design metamaterials that show unusual or extraordinary responses to complex loads.
• Their new AI tool deciphers the essential features of a metamaterial’s microstructure and accurately predicts its deformation behaviour.
• The tool not only finds optimal microstructures but also bypasses time-consuming engineering simulations.

Bike helmets that absorb the energy of an impact, running shoes that give you an extra boost with every step, or implants that behave just like natural bone. Metamaterials make such applications possible. Their inner structure is the result of a careful design process, following which 3D printers produce structures with optimised properties. Researchers led by Dennis Kochmann, Professor of Mechanics and Materials in the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, have developed novel AI tools that bypass the time-consuming and intuition-based design process of metamaterials. Instead, they predict metamaterials with extraordinary properties in a rapid and automated fashion. A novelty, their framework applies to large (so-called non-linear) loads, e.g. when a helmet absorbs major forces during an impact.

Kochmann’s team has been among the pioneers in designing small-scale cellular structures (similar to beam networks in timber-frame houses) to create metamaterials with specific or extreme properties. “For example, we design metamaterials that behave like fluids: hard to compress but easy to deform. Or metamaterials that shrink in all directions when compressed in a particular one,” explains Kochmann.

Efficient, optimal material design
The design possibilities seem endless. However, the full potential of metamaterials is far from realised, since the design process is based on experience, involving trial and error. Furthermore, small changes in the structure can give rise to huge changes in properties.

In their recent breakthrough, the researchers succeeded in using AI to systematically explore the abundant design and mechanical properties of two types of metamaterials. Their computational tools can predict optimal structures for desired deformation responses at the push of a button. Key is the use of large datasets of the deformation behaviour of real structures to train an AI model that not only reproduces data but also generates and optimises new structures. By leveraging a method known as “variational autoencoders”, the AI learns the essential features of a structure from the large set of design parameters and how they result in specific properties. It then uses this knowledge to generate a metamaterial blueprint whenever the researchers specify its desired properties and requirements.

Assembling building blocks
Li Zheng, a doctoral student in Kochmann’s group, trained an AI model using a dataset of one million structures and their simulated response. “Imagine a huge box of Lego bricks – you can arrange them in countless ways and over time learn design principles. The AI does this extremely efficiently and learns essential design features and how to assemble the building blocks of metamaterials to give them a particular softness or hardness”, says Zheng. Unlike prior approaches using a small catalogue of building blocks as the basis for design, the new method gives the AI freedom to add, remove, or move building blocks around almost arbitrarily.  Together with Sid Kumar, an assistant professor at TU Delft and a former member of Kochmann’s team, they showed in a recently published paper that the AI model can even go beyond what it has been trained to do and predict structures that are far better than anything ever generated before.

Learning from the movies
Jan-Hendrik Bastek, also doctoral student in Kochmann’s group, used a different approach to achieve something similar. He used a method originally introduced for AI-based video generation, which has become commonplace: if you type in ‘an elephant flying over Zurich’, the AI generates a realistic video of an elephant circling the Fraumünster Church. Bastek trained his AI system using 50,000 video sequences of deforming 3D-printable structures. “I can insert the trajectory of how I want the structures to deform, and the AI produces a video of the optimal structure and the complete deformation response,” explains Bastek. Most previous approaches have focused on only predicting a single image of the optimal structure. However, giving the AI videos of the entire deformation process is crucial to retain accuracy in such complex scenarios. Based on the video sequences, the AI can create blueprints for new materials, taking into account highly complex scenarios.

Big benefits for bike helmets and shoe soles
The researchers have made available their AI tools to the metamaterials community. This will hopefully lead to the design of many new and unusual materials. The tools are opening new avenues for the development of protective equipment such as bicycle helmets and for further applications of metamaterials from medical engineering to soft robotics. Even shoe soles can be designed to absorb shocks better when running or to provide a forward boost when stepping down. Will AI completely replace the manual engineering design of materials? “No,” laughs Kochmann. “Used well, AI can be a highly efficient and diligent assistant, but it must be given the right instructions and the right training – and that requires scientific principles and engineering knowhow.”

With its high-quality technical narrow textiles, JUMBO-Textil stands for high-tech - whether woven, braided or knitted. As an elastic specialist and solution partner, the company develops and produces individual innovations for customers worldwide. The 70-strong team must be as diverse and flexible as the products it designs. Textination spoke to industrial engineer Carl Mrusek about the current challenges facing family businesses. Carl Mrusek, who has been Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at Textation Group GmbH & Co. KG, to which JUMBO-Textil belongs, for almost a year now, is in charge of strategic corporate development as well as other areas of responsibility.

 

"In a family business, tradition is the foundation, innovation is the way forward," they say. The image of family-run companies has changed significantly in recent years - old-fashioned values and outdated business concepts have given way to a strong corporate culture, a strong sense of regional responsibility and sustainable planning. How does JUMBO-Textil combine its corporate values and traditions with a contemporary management style?

Carl Mrusek: As a family business, there is a close bond between the employees and the company and vice versa; the continuity of human relationships is important and valuable. JUMBO-Textil also has a tradition of one thing in particular: contemporary corporate management, both technically and professionally, as well as in terms of management style and values. Especially in a family business, which is often managed by the same person for decades, it is crucial to question corporate values and management style and to promote change. A company that has been operating successfully internationally for almost 115 years must be adaptable. For us, reacting quickly to changes, even anticipating them and moving forward accordingly, is at the heart of smart business practices. The specialization in elastics in the 1920s is an example of the foresighted power of change, as is the strategically important turn to technical textiles in the 1970s. A recent example is the merger with vombaur under the umbrella of the Textation Group.

The most important thing in any company is its employees. We would not be able to attract and retain them with outdated traditions and working methods. For us, the focus is not on the company management, but on joint success, and in a complex world, this is usually the result of successful cooperation and not an announcement from the boss. Leadership clearly means setting and pursuing strategic goals, but today it also means team development. Finding the best people, bringing them together and motivating them to achieve the goal.

 

Team spirit and vision development: How do you achieve this at JUMBO-Textil?

Carl Mrusek: As a team! JUMBO-Textil has systematically expanded its management team. In addition to the Managing Director, our CEO Andreas Kielholz, the Chief Operational Officer Patrick Kielholz, the Chief Financial Officer Ralph Cammerath, the Chief Technology Officer Dr. Sven Schöfer and myself as Chief Sales Officer work here. This shows that we are convinced of the idea of cooperation: We also work together on corporate development and strategic issues. The same applies to the individual teams - in organizational specialist teams or in interdisciplinary project teams. The tasks for which we are responsible may be different, but each is equally important.

 

Is that why you start the introduction of contact persons on your website with the Junior Sales Manager? And the C-level representatives are at the end?

Carl Mrusek: Yes, all JUMBO-Textil heads are the head of the company for us. All JUMBO-Textil faces represent the company. This is also reflected in the order of the contact persons on the website. Visitors should be able to quickly find the person who can help them and not find out who runs the company. That's what the legal notice is for. (laughs)

 

What is JUMBO-Textil's mission statement and vision for the future, and what needs to change in order to achieve this vision?

Carl Mrusek: We are currently working on the strategic direction of the Textation Group, which JUMBO-Textil GmbH & Co. KG and vombaur GmbH & Co. KG are part of. In this context, we have developed the Group's corporate vision and mission and updated our mission statement. This serves as a foundation for strategy development and is only sustainable if employees are involved in this process through surveys and workshops. I don't want to give too much away yet, but this much is already clear: strong teams, the right people in the right place, taking responsibility at all levels, sustainability as the basis for innovation - these will be the four cornerstones. You can already see from this: To achieve our vision, we cannot flip a switch. We must always remain open to change, always new - from product development to personnel recruitment. But as I said, we have a tradition of doing this.

 

JUMBO-Textil is not an industry specialist, but combines expertise for demanding high-tech narrow textiles. Who is in charge of challenging customer projects - do you decide in a team or rather top-down, where is the responsibility for an order placed?

Carl Mrusek: As a team, we decide which projects to implement and how to prioritize them. The corporate strategy determines the "direction of travel". In addition to the sales side, the development side of new projects also plays a decisive role. I therefore coordinate intensively with Dr. Sven Schöfer (CTO) and his team, as the focus here is on the technical development and implementation of our products. In the end, project processing is always a team effort between Sales and Development in close cooperation with Production..

 

Between above-standard pay, a 4-day week and the much-vaunted work-life balance in the current situation on the job market, companies are more likely to be in the position of applicants than vice versa. What are you doing to remain attractive as an employer for new colleagues? And how do you keep the enthusiasm of your skilled employees at a consistently high level?

Carl Mrusek: An important approach for us is education. Training young people and proving to them during their apprenticeship: JUMBO-Textil is your place to be. We therefore already start recruiting skilled workers through our school visits and school internships. As a state-of-the-art company, we offer an attractive salary level and a pleasant and healthy working environment.

Applicants today also often want to organize their working hours and work arrangements individually and flexibly, for a variety of reasons. With modern working models and thanks to our ongoing progress in digitalization, we support them wherever possible. People also want to work for a company that they can identify with. Environmental and climate protection are just as important to our employees and applicants as social standards in our supply chain. The fact that we have set ourselves ambitious goals with our sustainability strategy and are consistently pursuing them with firmly scheduled steps - our climate-neutral energy generation is a concrete example that has already been implemented. Furthermore, we vigorously encourage our business partners to respect human and employee rights and are committed to the Code of Conduct of the German textile and fashion industry. All of this helps us to recruit staff.

 

What larger, more capital-intensive companies can partially make up for with financial resources, SMEs have to manage through agility and adaptability - especially in situations of crisis. To what extent are these requirements also reflected in your organizational structure and the requirements profile for employees?

Carl Mrusek: Exactly, that is the advantage that family businesses have over large corporations: We can make decisions quickly and react on a daily basis if necessary. Hierarchies are flat and coordination processes are short. An exciting suggestion doesn't have to be prepared by agencies and coordinated across several levels before it is approved by the management and can be implemented. The go-ahead can also come immediately over lunch: "Great idea, we'll do it." In a corporate group, this fails because only very few employees have the opportunity to have lunch with the management. - And we only talk about business in exceptional cases. Most of the time, the break is about family, the weather, sports and leisure plans - lunch topics, in other words. - We need responsible team players who are willing to make a change. People who work with others on an equal footing, who are committed to the company and its goals with drive and expertise and who are keen to try new things.

 

It now takes much more than a fruit basket and a gym to motivate current and potential employees. Working in a meaningful way and participating in a climate-friendly transformation is particularly important to many people. What does JUMBO-Textil do specifically to not just quote SDGs in a statement, but to live them in everyday company life?

Carl Mrusek: We have set ourselves a specific climate target: By 2035, our administrative and production operations at our headquarters will be climate-neutral. Realistic steps have been defined to achieve this. We have already achieved an important interim goal: at our headquarters in Sprockhövel, we only use green electricity from the sun, wind and water. We offset the unavoidable emissions for our heat generation with CO₂ compensation services. We are also developing more and more products from recyclable and recycled materials. Our vehicle fleet is currently being converted to purely electric or hybrid models.

 

Diversification and internationalization are part of every corporate strategy these days. But what do these terms mean for the management style of a medium-sized company in Sprockhövel? Do you consciously build interdisciplinary international teams?

Carl Mrusek: We live in a hyper-diverse society. This is also reflected in our company. Our teams consist of people with different international backgrounds, without us having to actively control this. The age structure is now also very mixed. We see the different perspectives as an asset, an opportunity and a success factor. We - and that ultimately means our customers and their projects - benefit from the variety of perspectives that flow into our solutions. As with many companies in the technical textiles sector, the proportion of women in some teams is still somewhat unbalanced. However, it is fortunately increasing steadily.

 

Generational change and succession planning are core issues for family-run companies. How important is it for JUMBO-Textil to professionalize its management team and to what extent is the company open to external specialists and managers?

Carl Mrusek: A company that closes its doors to external specialists and managers is also closing a door to success. That would be foolish. At JUMBO-Textil, we try to combine and balance the close ties, personal continuity and flexibility of a family-run company, the passion and innovative spirit of a start-up and the solidity and financial strength of a group. With Patrick Kielholz as COO, the next generation of the family is represented at management level, as is the external view and the diversity of perspectives provided by the other new members at C-level. The Textation Group, which also includes Patrick Kielholz's brother Kevin Kielholz, supports the company and enables it to think and act bigger than medium-sized family businesses often do. JUMBO-Textil is an elastic specialist. And what distinguishes our product also distinguishes us as an organization. We span the advantages of a family business as well as those of a start-up and a group. If I may use the image of elasticity here and not stretch it too far. (laughs)