Converting mixed textile waste into recycled fibres and bacterial cellulose for sustainable production

The aim of the project is to obtain recycled cellulose fibers from blended textiles by means of alkaline hydrolysis of the polyester and to store the fossil carbon from the hydrolysate in the form of bacterial cellulose (BC). The aim is not only to provide a proof of concept, but also to take the first important steps towards making the process economically viable. The recycling of blended textiles is a young research topic that is being given a boost by the EU circular economy package in particular. The challenges to be solved are diverse and very often multidisciplinary. The project focuses on the identification of relevant metabolic pathways and key enzymes. This is done through a combination of literature research and the use of gene databases as well as gene expression analyses. By combining adaptive laboratory evolution and synthetic biology, the project will produce a biotech platform that can produce cellulose fibers with high quality from polyester hydrolysate at an increased production rate.