Ting Xu, a campus professor in chemistry and materials science and engineering, will lead a team of scientists in creating a biodegradable protein-based fabric.<\/p>\n
The Bezos Earth Fund awarded Xu\u2019s team $10 million, a portion of the total $34 million in grants announced this year. The funds will go toward multiple projects aimed at reinventing the fashion and textile industry with sustainable materials. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos created the fund in 2020 as part of his $10 billion pledge to address climate issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project stood out for its focus on developing biodegradable materials that could replace conventional synthetic fibers and help address textile waste and pollution,\u201d said a Bezos Earth Fund spokesperson in an email. \u201cThe funding supports both the research and efforts to move these materials closer to practical use.\u201d<\/p>\n
Textiles and manufacturing are responsible for roughly 80% of the fashion industry\u2019s environmental footprint, according to a press release from the Bezos Earth Fund. A 2023 United Nations Environment Programme report also noted that the textile sector is responsible for 9% of annual microplastic pollution in oceans.<\/p>\n
The project aims to extract proteins from compost and industrial waste and convert them into biodegradable fibers, according to Xu.<\/p>\n
Xu added that although the project team is not finalized, it will include data scientists who will use AI to understand how proteins can mimic synthetic polymers. According to a UC Berkeley press release, the project will also consist of an interdisciplinary team of scientists across six campus departments, along with researchers from Stanford University and Caltech.<\/p>\n
Some challenges accompanying this project include ensuring that the biodegradable textile is affordable, scalable and \u201cconsumer proof,\u201d Xu said.<\/p>\n
Xu emphasized that the history of the fashion industry began with natural fibers such as silk rather than synthetic fibers such as today\u2019s nylon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s most amazing is that in a hundred years, we\u2019re really going in circles,\u201d Xu said. \u201cWe started with textiles made from proteins, then we went to synthetic proteins \u2026 and now we are going back to our roots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xu also noted that large fashion brands including Puma, Lululemon and Patagonia have expressed interest in adopting biodegradable textiles for their products.<\/p>\n