Our protein would be implemented as a substitute to traditional chemical dyes which involve multiple steps to fix the dye to the textile while also releasing many harmful by-products. The cellulose binding domain fused to the chromoprotein would allow for fast and efficient attachment to cellulose based textiles. This would not only simplify the dyeing process, but also minimize waste and produce almost no toxic by-products. The protein would be produced using standard recombinant methods and then scaled up using large fermenters to quickly grow large cultures of E. coli which can be lysed and then the protein can be purified out of the cell lysate (2). Other proteins that express as other colors would also be developed allowing for an array of colors to choose from. Our technology, once fully developed, could easily and cheaply be licensed to textile companies to use in their manufacturing processes. The protein-based dye would ideally be cheap enough for use in mass-production facilities that have the biggest footprint in the industry leading to a reduced impact on the environment.
Our project would have a major impact on the world if implemented in place of traditional chemical dyes. Our end users would be the entirety of the textile industry. The product would be most commonly used in textile heavy production markets such as Southeast Asia, however there would likely be pockets of use throughout the world. The health and environmental benefits of eliminating azo dyes in these marketplaces would have positive wide-reaching effects worldwide.
While the textile industry is our main end user, the actual person using the textile product will also be positively impacted by the use of a protein based dye. Chemical compounds found in azo dyes can be dermally absorbed into the body through consistent fabric to skin contact (5), which can lead to a variety of illnesses. Additionally, some of these azo dyes are confirmed mutagens and/or carcinogens (1 & 4). Substituting traditional azo dyes with our improved protein based dye will have widespread health benefits that will reach beyond the producer to the consumers.
There would be several challenges in order to inform and switch the textile industry from its current practices to that of our protein based dye. One of the biggest factors that would need to be taken into consideration is the safety of the protein for humans. If the protein is not safe for contact with skin, or long term exposure then it is not a viable alternative and that is something that will have to be considered and tested in cell, and animal models in the future, before any thoughts of going to market. With one of our goals being to eliminate the use of harmful azo dyes, a protein-based substitute that was unsafe for human use would not be a viable option. Another safety factor that would need to be considered, especially at large scale production, is disposal of cellular by-products. E. coli, for example, is a gram negative bacteria that can contain harmful products such as endotoxins, as well as increase the burden on local wastewater treatment centers (3). However, there are methods for neutralizing these cellular by-products and this will need more consideration moving forward.
Another consideration is that our product could impact the fast fashion industry in multiple ways. Common fast fashion practices result in short-lived garment use and large amounts of textile waste is produced and incinerated, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere, thrown in a landfill or brought to developing countries (6) . Although we cannot change the amount of textile waste with our project, we can help this toxic area of consumption produce less harmful effects on the environment. Although fast fashion has a negative impact on the environment, many people rely on this industry to afford clothing. Switching to a new style of dying textiles could cause the prices on fast fashion products to increase, negatively impacting lower income households, but it would reduce the impact on the environment and human health.