Vollebak selects Colorifix’s novel bio dyes
UK outdoor brand Vollebak has created a limited edition run of DNA t-shirts coloured using technology from Colorifix, makers of a ‘bio dye’.
By implanting the DNA of the indigo plant into a self-replicating bacterial cell, and then creating the conditions for it to grow, they grown the colour like an organism.
The company ships a tiny quantity of engineered microorganism to its clients which grow the colour via fermentation on renewable feedstocks such as sugar, yeast and plant-byproducts.
The microorganisms divide every 20 minutes, resulting in dye liquor. This is then placed into standard dye machines, requiring no additional specialist equipment or chemicals.
Last June, Colorifix raised £18 million to scale up its dye process.
Vollebak’s DNA shirt is made in Portugal and retails for £85.
