February 13, 2020, written by Stamatis Kouroudis

Alabama scientists imagine colorful, fireproof, bacteria-resistant cotton

Imagine cotton in different colors straight from the plant. Or fire-retardant cotton for clothes. Or cotton bred with natural antimicrobial compounds leading to hospital linens and bandages resistant to bacteria.

Scientists in Alabama are working hard to improve cotton with a series of new research grants involving Huntsville’s HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. They may even send cotton to space to see how cultivating it in zero gravity might change the plant genetically. Sponsors as diverse as Target, Cotton Incorporated and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) are paying for the research. The project leaders are HudsonAlpha’s plant genetics expert Jeremy Schmutz and Dr. Christopher Saski of Clemson University.

One of the research projects will also look back to compare “elite lines” of modern cotton with historical cotton lines. Breeders develop elite lines to adapt the plant to climate and disease. Comparing modern elite lines with a historical cotton genome could show researchers what parts of the cotton genome are making the elite lines elite. That would make them easier to duplicate.

HudsonAlpha also plans to teach students from local high schools about the project, cotton and the basics of the genetic research. Vice President of Educational Outreach Neil Lamb will lead the educational project. It may involve talking to astronauts doing cotton research on the International Space Station.

Source: al.com

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