US team turns brewery and pharma waste into sustainable fabrics

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have developed a sustainable, protein-based fiber made from waste yeast leftover from beer, wine, and pharmaceutical production. This innovative fiber is stronger than many natural fibers and can be produced at a cost of $6 or less per kilogram, making it economically competitive with traditional fibers like wool. The production process involves extracting proteins from yeast, dissolving them in a solvent, and spinning them into continuous fibers. A successful pilot-scale demonstration in Germany produced over 1,000 pounds of this biodegradable fiber, which decomposes naturally and avoids the environmental harm caused by synthetic fibers such as polyester. The new fiber offers significant environmental benefits, including reduced land, water, and energy use compared to conventional fibers like cotton, which currently consumes vast agricultural resources and contributes to global food insecurity. By repurposing land used for fiber crops to food production, this innovation could help address hunger affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Additionally, the biodegradable nature of the fiber could mitigate the massive textile waste problem, as over