Applied DNA Sciences Inc. has signed a mutual collaboration agreement with Ganesha Ecosphere Ltd., a major producer of recycled polyester (rPET) fiber in India.
Under the terms of the agreement, Gamesha, with 300-plus customers, more than 250 suppliers and 500-plus product variants, will deploy the CertainT platform, Applied DNA’s traceability system, to tag an initial pilot production of recycled polyester (rPET) at Ganesha’s facilities in India. The company will also conduct confirmatory samples testing at Applied DNA’s laboratories in India and the U.S.
Applied DNA and Gamesha said the collaboration between the two companies will provide brands and textile manufacturers with a trusted solution to support their sustainability goals for rPET and confirm raw material authenticity at all stages of the textile value chain. Ganesha will also employ Applied DNA’s recently introduced SigNature T-100 tracer system that enables rPET source material to be quantified in polyester blends by the CertainT platform.
SigNature T-100 is a proprietary molecular-based tracer system used to identify, analyze, and verify rPET, polypropylene, acrylic and potentially other man-made materials for claims of identification and quantification of the raw material tagged and then spun into yarn for textile products.
“Traceability has now added more authenticity and credibility to the entire textile supply chain and is becoming an integral part of the recycling process,” B.P. Sultania, joint president of Ganesha Ecosphere, said. “With Applied DNA and CertainT, our customers can now trust in the original tagged synthetic fiber and verify product-related sustainability claims.”
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Ganesha is considered the largest producer of rPET fiber, spun yarn and dyed filament in India, with a cumulative capacity of 118,800 metric tons per year. Ganesha’s rPET products are components in the manufacture of textiles, such as T-shirts, body warmers, functional textiles such as non-woven air filter fabric, geo textiles, carpets and car upholstery, and fillings for pillows, duvets and toys.
“CertainT provides brands and manufacturers with a real strategic advantage that is truly sustainable, traceable and trusted,” James A. Hayward, president, and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, said. “Our India and Asia-based support teams for recycled PET and other polymers facilitate CertainT’s commercial scale-up and integration into customers’ supply chain.”
Applied DNA is commercializing LinearDNA, its proprietary, large-scale polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based manufacturing platform that allows for the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences. The platform is used to manufacture DNA for customers as components of in vitro diagnostic tests and for preclinical nucleic acid-based drug development in fields such as adoptive cell therapies, DNA vaccines, RNA therapies and and gene therapies.
The LinearDNA platform also has non-biologic applications, such as supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology. Key end-markets include textiles, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and cannabis.