Deconstructing cotton's fibers

Defects in processed cotton fabrics resulting from lint fiber imperfections cost U.S. textile makers millions annually. Now researchers are closing in on the biochemical bases for cotton lint's success as a durable, widely used natural plant fiber. This may help them further improve strength, uniformity,

The scientists-working with Glycozyme, Inc., of Irvine, California-are modeling lint fiber's biochemical and physiological development in cotton bolls. Using samples collected from California, Mississippi, and South Carolina cottonfields, they're compiling data to show how environmental factors like day length, drought, or temperature changes affect fiber properties-especially imperfections like variable fiber thickness that can plague lint processing.

Ultimately, growers with such information will be better able to predict their crop's chief fiber properties before harvest and take steps to market it accordingly.