Fellow's sustainable fabric dye firm is Earthshot Prize finalist

Congratulations to Dr Jim Ajioka, co-founder of environmentally sustainable fabric dye company Colorifix, which is a finalist for the prestigious Earthshot Prize 2023.

Colorifix is looking to claim the 'Build a Waste-free World' prize, worth £1million. The winner will be unveiled at a ceremony in Singapore in November and will also receive support from the Prince of Wales’ team as part of a one-year fellowship programme.

The company was founded in 2016 by Dr Ajioka, of the Department of Pathology, and Orr Yarkoni, formerly a postdoc in Jim’s lab and now the company’s CEO.

Jim’s background building tools for molecular genome analysis led him to develop a biosensor for assessing arsenic contamination of drinking water. While testing the sensor in Nepal, the two learned about the enormously destructive impact of dyeing processes on water. Together they realised that instead of just monitoring contamination, they could devise a solution: a sustainable way to dye textiles using synthetic biology.

They created a fabric-dyeing process that uses the DNA codes for colours found in nature and teaches microbes to recreate them. Just as brewing beer uses the power of microorganisms to ferment wheat, Colorifix is harnessing microscopic life to make natural fabric dyes.

The process begins with Colorifix identifying a colour created naturally by an animal, plant or microbe. Then, using DNA sequencing, they identify where that colour is coded in the genetics of that organism. The DNA code is then translated into Colorifix’s own engineered microorganisms, enabling them to produce the pigment—just as it is made in nature —and transfer it to the fabric.

Colorifix’s natural dyes cut chemical pollution by 80 per cent, and when applied to fabrics, they require far fewer rinses than synthetic dyes, ultimately saving vast quantities of water. Already gaining traction in the fashion industry, Colorifix have ambitions to dye 15 per cent of the world’s clothes by 2030, helping big manufacturers make good on their sustainability targets.

Last year the company secured £18 million investment to support expansion further into Europe and Asia and implement its technology into the supply chains of several leading players in the global fashion industry.

The Earthshot Prize was launched by Prince William in 2020 to search for and scale innovative solutions to the world's greatest environmental challenges.