The Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett donned lab coats as they witnessed the hi-tech work of an environmentally-friendly clothes dye company.
William and the actress visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes.
Colorifix, which was a finalist in William’s Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes.
Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia.
As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a “layman’s version” of the science.
After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix’s scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics.
That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe which is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics.
Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water.
The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments.
“What if it explodes?” Blanchett, joked before looking at the sample.
“I’m not going to pretend I know what that drawing means,” William told the experts when being shown diagrams.
The pair were then taken through the fermentation process which is where the dye is produced in a small version which can be scaled up.
David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes is “just like brewing”.
“We use a genetically-engineered bacteria to produce the substance – in this case colourants. In the brewing industry it’s ethanol.
“Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous.”
William and Blanchett were wowed by the range of colours produced when shown samples in the colouration lab, especially a bright teal.
In that lab, the dyes are sampled on a range of fabrics and then washed and tumble dried to test how they work and if there is any run off.
Rebecca Hiscock, a colouration technician, showed them some of the samples.
“It’s like Blue Peter – here’s one I made earlier,” William said.
Meeting the rest of the Colorifix team, the Prince of Wales said: “Sorry for all the stupid questions you’ll hear about later.”
He complimented the staff for their “fantastic” work since Colorifix got to the final of the Earthshot Prize two years ago.
The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners.
“It’s going really well, and it’s really exciting,” he said, while Blanchett told them their work was “really inspiring”.
