Antibacterial Textile Dyes

Conventional dyes and pigments used in clothing maybe potentially harmful to the environment and human health because many are made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum. Moreover, antibacterial-fabric coatings used in the industry can also be potential toxicants. Researchers at the University of California Davis, headed by Gang Sun and student Farnazeh Alihosseini have discovered a strain of marine bacteria that produces large amount of bright red pigments that can be used as a natural dye for wool, nylon, silk and other fabrics. In addition, the pigments also showed strong anti-bacterial properties against E.coli and Staphyloccus aureus.

Details on the the isolation techniques, the properties of the dyes, and additional biochemical information about the dyes can be obtained from the paper published in the current issue of the bi-monthly American Chemical Society Journal, Biotechnology Progress. The full paper however, can be downloaded at: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/bipret/asap/pdf/bp070481r.pdf