Descripción del proyecto
Ingeniería de microbios para una moda ecológica
Después de la industria petrolera, la de la moda es la segunda más contaminante del mundo. Es responsable del 20 % de la contaminación de las aguas limpias debido a los productos químicos tóxicos de los pigmentos utilizados para teñir y acabar las prendas de vestir. Además, cada kilo de tela requiere 200 litros de agua para su fabricación. Hay una gran necesidad de reducir las sustancias nocivas y el uso de agua en la producción de textiles. El proyecto Colorifix, financiado con fondos europeos, propone una solución basada en la participación de la biología sintética innovadora en el teñido de textiles. Colorifix diseñará el ADN de los microbios para producir, transferir y fijar los colorantes mediante un proceso integrado, respetuoso con el medio ambiente y biológicamente seguro que, además, permite reducir el uso de agua en un 90 %.
Objetivo
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world. Dyeing processes cause major environmental damage because of the toxic chemicals in pigments. They also use up to 200 litres of water to colour just 1kg of fabric.
Colorifix solves these problems by introducing advanced synthetic biology to textile dyeing. We engineer the DNA responsible for colour in Nature into self-replicating microbes. The resulting engineered microbes produce, transfer and fix colorants in a unique and integrated process. Microbes are grown on an industrial scale using renewable feedstocks such as molasses. The process is biologically safe, uses zero toxic chemicals, reduces water consumption by 90% and cuts energy use by at least 20%.
Colorifix' target markets are very large and include sustainable high street fashion, luxury apparel, sportswear, and automotive textiles, amounting to global trade of €370 billion p.a. The provision of textile dyeing services in these markets is worth c. €10 billion p.a and growing at a rate of c. 9% p.a.
The technology is highly scalable and low-cost compared to rival methods. This is because it avoids the cost of extracting and purifying pigments, and because the process is compatible with standard dye machines. The company will transform textile dyeing from one of the most environmentally harmful industries to an eco-friendly, sustainable process.
Commercial interest in Colorifix is extremely high. The company is already engaged in lab-scale trials with the largest global fashion brands and textile producers, including Stella McCartney, Filippa K, a global fibre producer and one of the world's largest automotive textiles producers.
The Phase 2 project will provide the capital needed to construct and operate a pilot production facility, enabling testing for customers on pre-production volumes, and preparing full commercial scale-up of the technology in textile production around the world.
Ámbito científico
Not validated
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Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2
Régimen de financiación
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinador
CB1 1HW Cambridge
Reino Unido
Organización definida por ella misma como pequeña y mediana empresa (pyme) en el momento de la firma del acuerdo de subvención.