More Resilient Cotton

The cotton industry is worth billions of dollars as cotton is the leading renewable fiber that is used in all of our clothes, bedsheets, and more. However as climate change continues to grow cotton farms become stressed from the intensity of the heat, and droughts. Scientists are aiming to develop more resilient cotton. In testing scientists found two key genes, GhHSFA6B-D and GhDREB2A-A. These two genes help the plant with water retention and usage during droughts. Another potentially useful gene is GhIPS1-A. This gene creates an enzyme that synthesizes compounds useful for drought resistance. These genes could help the cotton industry maintain its production in the changing climate.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240729173346.htm

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.14402

Fabric Fraud Eliminated Due to DNA Testing

Cotton is one of the most widely used materials in a variety of fields most notably as clothing and fabrics. Fiber length is a big part of what makes some cottons more desirable. Those with the longer fibers such as Egyptian or Pima cottons are more expensive. However, when these higher quality cottons were being shipped to spinners to be turned into thread, they were being mixed with lower quality strands. This causes a rift in the industry as sellers were claiming to have one hundred percent of pima cotton and buyers were paying full price. Well now thanks to a company called Applied DNA Sciences, this fraud can no longer take place. Growers of the Pima cotton can now spray their cotton with a DNA serum while it is being cleaned that will bind to the cotton ensuring that its origin can be known. Clothing manufacturers can in turn analyze this DNA spray and ensure that costumers are getting exactly what they are paying for.

I chose this story because of the use of DNA analysis to stop fraud. It helps show the applications of DNA knowledge. The story sort of highlights how knowledge of DNA (from plants nonetheless) can help solve real world problems. Also as a buyer, its useful to know that companies are taking measures to ensure you are getting the right product. I wonder if this sort of technology would be able to translate into other industries, possibly the food industry? With all of the new organically grow and farm raised chickens, could something like this help ensure that the product is what it claims to be?