Summary

Colorifix aims to tackle the problem associated with harmful chemical dyes that is inherent in the textiles used by the fashion industry. Historically, fabric dyes were derived from natural plants and crops. After the industrial revolution, synthetic dyes, and colorful fabrics became more widely used in fashion. However, these modern practices are harmful for the environment as these chemical dyes seep into river and harm wildlife and cause pollution, in addition to utilizing a vast amount of water. (Source) Colorifix has created an efficient fabric-dyeing process that uses DNA codes for colors from nature and teaches microbes to recreate them. The company is harnessing microbes to create natural fabric dyes. They use DNA sequencing to identify a color created naturally by an animal, plant or microbe and determine the genetics associated with the color. The genetic code is then translated into the company’s engineered microorganisms that then produce the required pigment that will in turn be transferred to fabric. (Source) In the same way beer is brewed, the microorganisms grow on renewable feedstocks such as sugar, yeast, and plant-byproducts like agricultural waste. The company claims that its natural dyes cut chemical pollution by 80%, and when applied to fabrics, they require far fewer rinses than synthetic dyes, ultimately saving vast quantities of water.

Story

Founders Orr Yarkoni and Jim Ajioka are both synthetic biologists who were developing biological sensors to monitor heavy metal contamination in drinking water in rural Nepal. While testing these sensors, they began to learn more about the harmful impact of the dyeing industry on water and human health. They set out to create a solution using their background and Colorifix was founded in 2016. (Source)

Pic credit: Earthshotprize (right) and Labiotech (top)