The study was conducted by: Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (“Applied DNA,” “the Company,” NASDAQ: APDN), and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). It was published in the AATCC Review, a highly regarded publication of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colors.

At the FIT labs in New York, denim swatches were treated with unique DNA molecular tags produced by Applied DNA, then subjected to stone and bleach washings. The samples were then analyzed at Applied DNA’s laboratories in Stony Brook, where it was proven that the DNA tags remained intact and suitable for high quality forensic scale analysis. Based on the observed stability, DNA tags of this kind may soon be ready for testing at a full manufacturing facility to verify the authenticity of the finished denim garment.

“This technology will enable brands and manufacturers to track their fibers from the farm through to the finished product, allowing for a more transparent supply chain. Traceability can also help verify certain sustainability claims about commodities and products, helping ensure good practices and respect for people and the environment in supply chains,” Sean Cormier, FIT Assistant Professor, Textile Development and Manufacturing.

“A denim fabric was chosen because it is a unique product, distinguished by its washed styles and distressed look,” said Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences. “Denim jeans are typically exposed to a stone and bleach wash, which is the harshest type of treatment made to any apparel product. If we could identify our DNA markers after this type of wash, we believe any cotton product could be identified at any stage in the supply chain.”

Applied DNA has developed a technology to produce small DNA fragments or identifiers on an industrial scale. Purified enzymes are used to manufacture DNA fragments, each one containing enough information to be used as a DNA-bead or “molecular bar code,” much like an ordinary ink bar code on a label. DNA tags are applied during the cotton ginning phase, enabling the fiber to be tracked and authenticated throughout the entire supply chain.

There has been a lack of commercially available test methods to determine where denim fibers were grown. This is a concern to manufacturers, as global counterfeiting continues to escalate – rising from USD $1.2 trillion in 2017 to an anticipated USD $1.82 trillion by 2020 (Global Brand Counterfeiting Report 2018). The denim authentication problem is significant since most American cotton, including Upland cotton used to produce denim, is shipped overseas and combined with other cotton where it can lose its identity.

“The denim study has opened the door to a world of possibilities,” Hayward added. “These results suggest that it is now possible to assign several unique DNA molecular tags to any cotton product, regardless of finish. Future projects will tag cotton intended for denim use, as well as other premium fibers such as wool, cashmere, as well as man-made fibers like viscose, nylon, recycled polyester and also bio-based fibers and recycled materials,” he explained.

About Applied DNA Sciences

Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and DNA mass production for diagnostics and therapeutics.

Applied DNA makes life real and safe by providing innovative, molecular-based technology solutions and services that can help protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion.

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Common stock listed on NASDAQ under the symbol APDN, and warrants are listed under the symbol APDNW.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements made by Applied DNA in this press release may be “forward-looking” in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe Applied DNA’s future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Applied DNA. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our history of losses, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including whether any of Applied DNA’s product candidates will advance further in the preclinical research or clinical trial process, including receiving clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies to conduct clinical trials and whether and when, if at all, they will receive final approval from the U.S. FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies, and various other factors detailed from time to time in Applied DNA’s SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 28, 2017 and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed on February 8, 2018, May 3, 2018 and August 13, 2018, which are available at  www.sec.gov. APDN undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law.