The Department of Commerce's United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded US Patent 7,000,000 to DuPont senior researcher Dr. John P. O'Brien for his "Polysaccharide Fibres."

Polysaccharide fibres are "cotton-like" fibres derived from biologically based renewable resources. They are biodegradable and suitable for use in textiles. The patent issued for "Polysaccharide Fibers" is the 33,801st US patent awarded to DuPont since company founder E.I. du Pont was granted US Patent #590 in 1804 for a "machine for granulating gunpowder." DuPont and its affiliates ranked second worldwide with the most biotechnology patents approved by the USPTO in 2004, according to the publication Nature Biotechnology.

Dr O'Brien has been a polymer chemist with DuPont since 1978. He holds 15 patents, including the one issued today, for his research in the areas of advanced composites; high-performance fibres, including developmental work on DuPont(TM) Kevlar(R); and bio-based materials.