BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS

APPLICATION IN TEXTILE
INDUSTRY

PRESENTED BY:-
SONUKA AGARWAL
FINAL B.SC. (T.C.)
 INTRODUCTION

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Application of scientific and

engineering principles

To the processing of
materials

By biological agents

To provide novel goods and

services.
APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

• Enhancement in the quality and properties

of natural fibres with development of novel
fibres and polymers
• Novel uses of enzymes in textile
processing and finishing
•Waste management
 • Enhancement in the quality and
properties of natural fibres with
development of novel fibres and polymers

A. Transgenic cotton

Research on the cotton plant is being aimed

towards two main goals: -
i) Improved insect, disease and herbicide
resistance leading to improved quality
ii) Modification of fibre properties and
performance such as improved strength,
length,appearance etc.
 • Improved insect, disease and
herbicide resistance

• Monsanto scientist
obtained a toxin gene
from soil bacterium
called Bt (Bacillus
Thuringiensis) and
inserted it into cotton
plant
• Toxin kills the
caterpillar by paralyzing
their guts
Pink bollworm
Bollworm

Boll weevil
Cotton leaf perforator Cabbage looper

Soyabean looper Cotton leafworm

Yellow-striped White flies
Army worm
i. Modification of fibre properties and
performance

• Production of coloured cottons by conventional

genetic selection and by direct DNA engineering

• Production of cotton containing natural

polyester, such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB),
inside the hollow core,creating a natural
polyester/cotton fibre
 • Wool

• Improved production and wool quality by

careful selection of rams

• Use of genetic engineering to modify the

genetic makeup of animals to provide them
with specific properties
 A. Novel fibres

Production of highly specific polymers and new

materials using recombinant DNA technology
and genetic engineering techniques represent
the textile of future

i. Spider Silk
•Dragline silk is the thread spiders use
to make their webs and the thread from
which they hang
•It is one of the toughest materials
known to date
• It is at least five
times as strong as
steel, twice as elastic
as nylon, waterproof
and stretchable

• It is environmental
friendly

Spider silk shown in normal

size, stretched 5 times and 20
times its original length
• The dragline silk of Nephila Clavipes has
attracted the most scientist attention.
• Research is on for production of spider silk
in laboratory by inserting specific gene into
bacteria (E.coli)

• Another approach is being tried out to

produce spider silk in the milk of transgenic
goats
i. Other new fibre sources

Chitins and Chitosans

• They form strong fibres

• Found in shells of crustaceans
• Fabrics woven from them are
antimicrobial and serve as wound dressing
I. Novel uses of enzymes in textile
processing and finishing

Enzymes are protein molecule, which catalyze

specific biochemical reactions.

Characteristics of enzymes are:-

• Enzymes can work at normal atmospheric
pressure and in mild condition of
temperature and pH
• Enzymes can bring about hydrolysis,
oxidation, reduction, coagulation and
decomposition
• Enzymes are specific in their action
The various enzymes used for different
textile processes are:-

• Amylase - used in desizing process

• Pectinase – used in scouring process

• Laccases – used to remove unfixed

dyestuff

• Cellulase – used for stone washing

of denim garments and removal of
protruding fibres from surface
 Denim washing / Bio-washing

• It is the removal of surface dyes and fibres

to give the garment a used appearance
•The enzyme used for denim washing is neutral
stable cellulase
• Based on their pH cellulases can be acid or
neutral
•Acid cellulase is highly active and requires
short time , but may lead to ‘back staining’
•Neutral cellulase requires a longer wash time
but the problem of ‘back staining’ is almost nil
• Waste management

Biotechnological techniques are being employed for

the elimination of toxic wastes from textile effluents

A. Fungi for discolouration

• Azo dyes do not occur in nature and are resistant
to aerobic degradation
• White rot fungus (P. chrysosporium) is the only
known organism that can completely degrade a
number of Azo dyes
• Laccase produced by P.chrysosporium oxidizes the
phenolic azo dyes
Biotechnology has led to development of new
products, speeded up production and helped
reduce the pollution load. However the current
awareness of biotechnology is less. But due to
its outstanding benefits it can be predicted
that in the long term, more polluting chemical
procedures will be substituted or supported by
biotechnological processes.
 REFERENCES
• GHOSE K T, BIOCONVERSION OF CELLULOSIC
SUBSTANCES INTO CHEMICALS AND
MICROBIAL PROTIEN, AROON PURIEAT
THOMSON PRESS LIMITED, FARIDABAD,
HARYANA, EDITION (1978), PG NO
-34,35,111,112,113. 
• PAULO-CAVACO A, GUEBITZ G M, TEXTILE
PROCESSING WITH ENZYMES, WOODHEAD
PUBLISHING LIMITED, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND,
EDITION (2003), PG NO – 90, 91, 92.
• SSING CHEMICALS, RECENT ADVANCES IN
TEXTILE PROCESSING, INDIAN CHEMICAL
MANUFACTURES ASSOCIATION, BOMBAY
REGIONAL OFFICE, EDITION (1982), PG NO –
2,3,4.
 
• AJGONKAR B J, APPLICATION OF CELLULASE
ENZYMES ON INDIGO DYED DENIM
GARMENTS – PROS AND CONS, COLOURAGE,
JANUARY 1995, PG NO – 35-39
• DR. THILAGAVTHI G, PAJENDRA KUMAR K,
BIO-FINISHING OF COTTON FABRICS BY
CELLUASE ENZYMES, THE INDIAN TEXTILE
JOURNAL, VOL.115, JAN 2005,PG NO – 38,39
• GUPTA DEEPTI, BIOTECHNOLOGY
APPLICATION IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY, INDIAN
JOURNAL OF FIBRE AND TEXTILE RESEARCH,
VOL.26, MARCH-JUNE 2001, PG NO – 206-213 
• MANICKAM MUTHU M, PRASAD GANESH J,
APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN
TEXTILES, COLOURAGE, VOL.52, OCTOBER
2005, PG NO – 41-45 
1. PAI ROSAN, KAHNDUAL ASIMANANDA,
APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN
TEXTILE INDUSTRY, THE INDIAN TEXTILE
JOURNAL, VOL-113, APRIL 2003, PG NO – 23-
28
Websites:-
• http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2005-
10/1129915719.Ch.r.htm
• http://fungus.org.uk/cv/impctcv.htm
• http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jul102000/general%2
0articles1.pdf
• http://www.davidrigbyassociates.co.uk/DRA%20W
EBSITE%2003/assets/Biotechnology.pdf
• http://www.bharattextile.com
• http://www.msstate.edu/dept/drec/cotton/cott
on_research_updates/fall_2005/robbins_tpb_s
b_transgenic_cotton.htm