In a joint project called "Albiotex", researchers at the Hohenstein Institute, Brain AG and Kelheim Fibres GmbH have successfully developed wound dressings made from bacterial alginate. The aim of the project was to develop a biotechnological process to produce alginate and then process it into fibre-based products for use in wound dressings. The soil bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii was used as a natural alginate resource. This means that the conventional, time-consuming process of obtaining the biopolymer from brown algae can be avoided and replaced by a sustainable biotechnological process. In the organisation involved in the research partnership was Rökona Textilwerk GmbH, too. Thanks to the interdisciplinary collaboration between the research partners, they have succeeded in mapping out for the first time a complete production and treatment process, from using biotechnology to produce bacterial alginate, right through to producing fibres and manufacturing textile materials.

Read more in the printed issue textile network 9-10, will be published on 25 August.