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Interview with Dr James Hayward

Dr James Hayward
Dr James Hayward
President and CEO
Applied DNA Sciences
Applied DNA Sciences

We are working more towards fibre typing
It was largely believed that mature cotton does not possess DNA. However, Applied DNA Sciences has a path-breaking theory to test authenticity of any given cotton variant by its DNA analysis. This method is fast gaining grounds in the global textile and apparel industry. Dr James Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, explains this technology to Fibre2Fashion.com

What are issues prevailing in Egyptian extra long staple cotton?

Egyptian cotton was recently presented at a cotton conference, and evidence was presented that one can distinguish between the cotton from Egypt and from other countries on the basis of DNA extracted from the nucleus, called the genomic DNA. We know that this distinction cannot be made because that DNA cannot survive the flowering process. So, there was some confusion in the marketplace. Our solutions have been a subject of public patent, and we have been in the marketplace for more than five years. Our claims are validated. We have been very, very public. The Egyptian approach has been to issue a trade mark, which is not validated and shows no data. It is something which is biologically not feasible. We do the science. We examine the sourced DNA in the finished product, and we track the DNA from the parent plant. We have also tied up with Louis Dreyfus Commodities to be able to track its cotton fibre back to the point of origin.
 

Yours is a novel concept in the cotton supply chain authentication process. Can you explain the complete process?

It is very simple. We have two processes. The first is a method of identifying DNA which is inherent in cotton. To explain this, I have to take you on a tour of the past. For many years, it was thought that there was no DNA in mature cotton. This is true if you are talking about nuclear DNA. When cotton matures and flowers, it triggers the death of cells in a kind of programme build-up. In that process, the nuclear DNA or the genomic DNA is digested, and cut into very small fragments. So, by the time the cotton is picked, which is usually after 45 days of flowering, there is hardly any trace of the nuclear DNA in the cells. The scenario remains the same when raw cotton is processed into finished products. We discovered that there is another source of DNA that does survive. That source of DNA is in the chloroplast of the cotton plant, an organelle converting sunlight into sugar. The chloroplast has a very small, circular DNA. There are many such organelles inside cotton fibre. We used to wonder whether that DNA survives during flowering, unlike the nuclear DNA which does not. We explored deeper to find that it did survive, not just during the flowering process, but also for more than 100 years. That is how we discovered that there is DNA in matured cotton. This DNA can be used in discovering mutation, or distinguishing between extra long staple and upland cotton. We patented this process. As we implemented this tool to identify whether a said textile is extra long staple or upland, we were shocked to find that many finished materials in the market labelled as 100 per cent extra long staple or 100 per cent pure pima, contained large amounts of upland. The materials were completely mislabelled. Our second process was the development of a process for treating this problem. We have two discoveries for this. One was a diagnostic tool to fix the industry's supply chain. The second is a tool we call the Signature T DNA. It's a DNA tag that we engineered. If we apply that tag at a gin, we can track that fibre as it goes through the supply chain - from the gin to the finished product. So we have two tools - one is a tracking tool and the other one is a tool to tell us which category the finished product fits in. Now, we have taken these tools further to identify the other materials in the finished product.

What are the common blends observed in pima cotton apparel claiming purity? Please share some general intricacies of this industry.

The blending process has been perfected by industry insiders for many years. Blending has been carried out by manufacturers trying to improve margins. We see quantities of up to 100 per cent upland in what is claimed to be 100 per cent pima. There was no way for brand owners or retailers to prove that. Our methods allow brand owners and retailers, who want to ensure that their label claims are accurate, to prove whether their products are mislabelled or not. Our experience says that brand owners want to ensure that their products are compliant and correctly labelled.

What is the ratio of counterfeiting in so-called pure pima textile and apparel?

We have observed mislabelling of up to 80 per cent in some of the screenings of the retail marketplace. Some common blends claiming to be 100 per cent pima, contain from 25 per cent upland to 100 per cent upland.

What latest technologies or innovations can enhance competitiveness in the entire textile and apparel DNA authentication industry?

One of the technologies that we are working on is to do the DNA analysis locally. We are working with wise manufacturers who want to give customers better results regionally. Let's say within India, within the United States of America or within Europe.

Please share details of your pricing structure.

We do not share the pricing details of our products but I can tell you that last year, we provided products to two million pounds worth pima and upland cotton and cotton product suppliers, and did some hundreds, if not thousands, of fibre typing. The response from the market has been that this is a worthwhile improvement, and cost is not an issue.

Who are your competitors? To which major clients do you cater?

Normally, we don't reveal our customers. We have tied up with Himatsingka. Our technology is patented, hence we should not have any competitors directly. I know of no other technology that can give similar results.

What is the acceptance rate for this authentication process in the global textile and apparel industry?

That is a difficult question to answer. But we have been moving quickly from the time we took our first project on hand. It was revealed in the industry that ours is an accurate methodology. After that, we have been approached by many brands of textile, home textile, apparel etc and the marketplace is very accepting.

Please share details of your last two fiscals. What are your expectations from the coming two fiscals?

We are a young but rapidly growing public company. We do not yet provide guidance for our next quarter. So, I cannot help you with the expectations for the next two fiscals. We expect our efforts within the textile industry to grow fast. I can tell you retrospectively that we have grown aggressively through each of the last five fiscal quarters. We grew last year by 236 per cent year-on-year.

What factors affect your fiscal performance?

There is a societal trend that is undeniable in the marketplace. Today's consumers want to know where their stuff comes from. They want to have ethically sourced clothing and materials. The global trend towards counterfeiting or mislabelling, as to its content or its point of origin, is a growth trajectory. The counterfeiting or mislabelling industry has grown to a point, where this industry is now US$ 1.8 trillion worth, larger than many national economies.

What is the budget allocated towards R&D?

We are at heart, a bio-tech company. Much of what we use is cutting-edge. We spent many years in research before we came to the marketplace. So, now our work is concentrated on development and full commercialisation. We maintain an active research programme as witnessed by our collaboration with the Department of Agriculture of the United States of America.

Please share some of your research findings.

We are improving our technology for fibre typing, a kind of genotyping, to differentiate between most of the regional cotton grown all over the world. Our expectations are that within a few years, we will be able to distinguish between the finished goods on the basis of its geographic point of origin.
Published on: 25/04/2016

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.