Innovating fire safety with recombinant hydrophobic proteins for textile fire retardancy

Fire retardancy for textiles is important to prevent the rapid spread of fire and minimize damage to property and harm to human life. To infer fire-resistance on textile materials such as cotton or nylon, chemical coatings are often used. These chemicals are usually toxic, and economically and environmentally unsustainable, however, some naturally produced protein-based fire retardants could be an alternative. A biofilm protein from Bacillus subtilis (BslA) was identified and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli with a double cellulose binding domain. It was then applied to a range of natural and synthetic fabric materials. A flame retardancy test found that use of BslA reduced fire damage by up to 51% and would pass fire retardancy testing according to British standards. It is therefore a viable and sustainable alternative to current industrial fire-retardant coatings. A biofilm protein from Bacillus subtilis (BslA) was identified and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli with a double cellulose binding domain. It was then applied to a range of natural and synthetic fabric materials. A flame retardancy test found that use of BslA reduced fire damage by up to 51% and would pass fire retardancy testing according to British standards.image

Automated summary

Fire retardancy is crucial for textiles to prevent fire spread and minimize property damage and harm to human life. Chemical coatings commonly used on materials like cotton or nylon are toxic and unsustainable, but a protein-based fire retardant called BslA from Bacillus subtilis offers a viable and sustainable alternative. Flame retardancy tests show that BslA reduces fire damage by up to 51% and meets British standards for fire retardancy.