Improving the environmental footprint of the textile industry: Bio-indigo for eco-conscious blue jeans

Only indigo gives denim its distinct blue colour. The dye is globally produced in quantities of up to 80,000 tonnes per year. However, its chemical production relies on fossil fuels, and some of the by-products are extremely toxic. After three years of research, scientists in Sven Panke's Bioprocess Lab have successfully developed a fermentation process for the synthesis of bio-indigo from renewable feedstock. The quality of this dye allows for direct application in industrial fibre staining.