Applied DNA Sciences, a leader in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based DNA manufacturing for product authenticity, traceability solutions, nucleic acid-based biotherapeutic development and liquid biopsies, today announced that the UU Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted it United States patent no. 10,519,605 entitled Methods of Marking Cellulosic Products.

The newly issued patent covers methods of tagging man-made cellulosic (MMC) fibres or materials with a nucleic acid (DNA) tag during production and later authenticating the nucleic acid-tagged MMC fibers and/or materials via PCR-based detection techniques to confirm provenance and or authenticity.

According to the company, global MMC production volume more than doubled from 3 million (in 1990) to 6.7 million metric tons in 2018, and is expected to continue to grow at an annual rate of 9% through 2024. MMCs include viscose, Rayon, acetate, lyocell, Tencel, modal and cupro materials.

“Most MMCs are primarily derived from wood. Heightened awareness related to the sourcing of wood raw materials from endangered or ancient forests, the social and environmental concerns relating to the chemicals used in production, as well as the amount of energy and water used to manufacture MMCs, has led to greater oversight of the MMC industry and requires proof that these materials come from controlled and sustainable sources that can be verified by scientific evidence,” Applied DNA said.

“The use of MMC fibers and materials is moving the textile industry towards greater sustainability but has also yielded social and environmental concerns related to deforestation and biodiversity. In response, brands and retailers, such as H&M Group that has articulated a goal to only use MMC fibers from certified, responsibly managed sources in its products by 20253, are actively strengthening their sourcing policies to address these concerns. Central to their initiatives is traceability of their MMC supply chains to feedstock levels,” said MeiLin Wan, Vice President of Textile Sales at Applied DNA.

“With these new patents, together with our linear DNA-based tagging platform, we can offer MMC fiber producers and manufacturers the unparalleled ability to ensure that their brands are real and safe.”

“Transparency related to the source, origin and authenticity of MMCs is the key to unlock valuable claims related to sustainable and ethical sourcing – and this is important for the supply chain to know that their product and brand is secure from source to shelf,” said Wayne Buchen, Vice President of Strategic Sales at Applied DNA.

“The company continues to collaborate with its global network of MMC fiber producers and manufacturers to assure that their brands are verified and traceable. With increased scrutiny of cellulosic fibers originating from certain geographic locations, we plan to provide solutions to enable our partners to digitally verify their products through our CertainT portal, and also help our brand partners to authenticate their products through additional solutions that we offer for protecting hang tags, thread and packaging. We are very excited to now offer our patented technology to all stakeholders in the cellulosic fiber and materials value chain.”

“The company is at the forefront of large-scale PCR-based DNA manufacture innovation as shown by its over 130 pending patent applications and issued patents,” said Dr. James A. Hayward, chairman, president and CEO of Applied DNA. “With the issuance of this patent, we continue to expand the value of our proprietary CertainT platform in textiles, which will be a key focus for fiscal 2020.”

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