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            mitochondria, and chloroplasts.                   “We are not afraid to be tested in court. We are not just            make SigNature DNA markers an ideal foundation or   been reduced to the point where child labour has
                                                              a warning sticker on a door.”                                        enhancement for any security effort. Manufacturers,   become socially unacceptable.” However, forced
            Applied DNA Sciences (ADNAS) for Textiles         ADNAS brand promise                                                  brands, and other stakeholders can ensure their raw   labour does remain a risk for higher-level students,
            Each cotton fibre was originally a living plant cell, and                                                              materials and products are protected, product claims   the staff of public and private agencies, and the staff
            so it had the full complement of cotton genes. By the                                                                  are authentic and customer expectations are met.  of medical facilities.
            time the cotton boll has matured, the cells are no
            longer viable and the DNA begins to degrade,                                                                           fibretyping®                                      Uzbekistan is one of the largest exporters of cotton;
            something that continues during the many steps of                                                                      ADNAS’ fiberTyping is a patented DNA test that can   sixth in the global economy. The countries that import
            ginning, spinning, weaving, dying etc. Still, enough                                                                   be used to determine if a product contains the    the largest quantities of Uzbek cotton are also the
            DNA fragments remain to allow ADNAS to detect     SigNature® T                                                         presence of Gossypium barbadense DNA (Extra       countries that rank among the largest suppliers of
            important elements of its genetic signature. Like   SigNature® T DNA claims to keep textiles real and                  Long Staple “ELS”), Gossypium hirsutum DNA        finished textiles to the USA and UK, such as
            many crops, the cotton has to be adapted to the   safe with unique molecular tagging, testing and                      (Upland), or a blend of both. fiberTyping is a powerful   Bangladesh and China. More than 250 brands and
            growing conditions in each region. That means that   traceability system. SigNature T allows for superior              tool to help the cotton industry ensure that products   retailers have signed, “The Cotton Pledge,”
            cotton grown in Pakistan, India, China, Spain, Egypt   quality control and assurance at any point of the               labelled as 100% ELS, or 100% Pima, are compliant   promising not to knowingly source cotton from
            or Uzbekistan may have unique and detectable      supply chain. Fibre, yarn, fabric and garment labels                 with label claims. fiberTyping with quantification   Uzbekistan. Growing consciousness of
            differences in their DNA. Patented botanical DNA   can be tagged with SigNature T. Patented and                        provides information about the percentage of ELS   unethically-produced cotton among consumers is
            solutions can be used to identify, tag, track, and trace   proprietary, SigNature T is stable and is engineered        DNA and Upland DNA present in a “blended”         apparent a poll suggests that roughly three in five
            products, to help assure authenticity, traceability and   to adhere tenaciously to virtually any textile substrate,    sample. This service is available only when a result is   Americans (61%) say if they discovered a brand
            quality of products. Applied DNA Sciences provides   including natural and synthetic fibres. These                     determined to be a blend.                         made their bedding/clothing products from raw
            botanical-DNA based security and authentication   botanical-based taggants cannot be copied and                                                                          cotton that was picked by child/forced labourers,
            solutions and services that protect assets, products,   survive standard textile treatment processes. The tag                                                            they would no longer purchase from that brand.
            brands, supply chains, and intellectual property of   can be customized so it can be unique to each
            companies, governments and consumers from theft,   customer, batch or lot, cannot be copied and easily                                                                   The United States recognizes Uzbek cotton as a
            counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. Applied DNA   integrates with existing manufacturing processes.                                                                     product made with forced labour and has stopped
            Sciences is using biotechnology as a forensic                                                                                                                            goods made with Uzbek cotton at the border under a
            foundation, to create unique security solutions that   The platform is based on a unique molecular tag,                                                                  law prohibiting import of goods made with forced
            address the challenges of modern commerce.        known as “SigNature® T”, applied at the point where                                                                    labour. The California Transparency in Supply Chain
                                                              locally grown cotton is ginned, and forensically                                                                       Act requires businesses to report their efforts to
            “DNA technology can help businesses and regulators   authenticated at each stage of the supply chain to                                                                  combat forced labour in their supply chains. The
            enhance traceability and transparency in global supply   allow traceability for fibres to finished goods back to                                                         Modern Slavery Act in the United Kingdom requires
            chains”                                           their origin. SigNature T DNA tags are custom                                                                          businesses that trade in at least £36 million in goods
                                                              designed to be compatible and stable in a wide                                                                         a year to report what steps, if any, they are taking to
 Blending, other than technical advantages, can be   year and found 83 percent were made entirely or   SigNature DNA is at the heart of a family of   range of textile substrates and manufacturing   address forced labour in their supply chains. Until
 carried out by manufacturers trying to improve   partially of another type of cotton.  uncopiable, security and authentication solutions   processes.  ADNAS has identified certain unique,   today, however, there has been no mechanism to
 margins.  US retailer Target was forced to pull   such as SigNature® T and fiberTyping®, targeted   botanically-derived, DNA tags which they can                                    discriminate fibres of Uzbek origin.
 750,000 sheets and pillowcases from its stores after   What is DNA?  toward textiles and apparel, DNAnet®, for anti-theft   produce, and then apply in tiny amounts to the
 it discovered they had been falsely labelled as   DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary or   and loss prevention, and digitalDNA®, providing   cotton at a step like ginning. Later, that DNA   Applied DNA Sciences recently announced that it has
 Egyptian and were made with inferior cotton. The   genetic material, present in all cells, that carries   powerful track and trace. All provide a forensic chain   signature can be detected to say, “yes, this cotton   identified lead genetic markers that are unique to
 retailer cut its ties with Welspun India, one of the   information for the structure and function of living   of evidence, and can be used to prosecute   was produced with x,y or z desirable methods”   Potential to Eliminate Forced Labour in Uzbekistan  certain cotton cultivars grown in Uzbekistan, where
 world’s biggest textile manufacturers, following an   things. DNA is contained in chromosomes, which are   perpetrators. The Company offers a molecular   because those specific DNA tags can only be there if   According to the Cotton Campaign, every year the   forced human labour is used to cultivate the cotton.
 internal investigation that, it said, confirmed Welspun   found in the nucleus of most cells. 99.9% of the DNA   tagging and authentication service to brands and   the certifier allowed it.   Uzbek government forces more than a million Uzbek   To date, the biomarkers have been tested in raw and
 had substituted inferior cotton in products.  from two people will be identical. The 0.1% of DNA   retailers who want to exclude adulteration by   citizens — including teachers, doctors and nurses —   ginned cotton. The testing of yarn and finished
 code sequences that vary from person to person are   forensically proving the origin of their cotton.   This botanically engineered solution is shielded by a   to work long hours picking cotton for state-run   textiles is forthcoming. Applied DNA is looking for
 To prevent counterfeiting or mislabelling, Applied   what make us unique. These sequences are called   portfolio of over 100 patents, patent applications and   industries under threat of penalties, including loss of   partners to aid in halting forced labour in cotton
 DNA Sciences (ADNAS) is working on two different   genetic markers, and are the part of the code that   It is pertinent to mention that technology can be   trademarks. With essentially infinite variability,   their jobs or education. The government of   fields, while facilitating a global collaboration in
 types of DNA. The first uses an engineered botanical   forensic scientists use when doing a DNA test.   applied beyond cotton fibre to man-made fibres as   individualized custom DNA sequences can be   Uzbekistan operates the largest forced-labour   identifying and highlighting Uzbek cottons that are
 DNA, SignatureDNA® T to tag the fibre before it is   Identical twins are the only people who have identical   Applied DNA Sciences has recently supplied   created and embedded into a range of host carriers   system of cotton production in the world. There is no   harvested by modern machinery specifically without
 baled to track it from a particular source. The second,   genetic markers. Parental, forensic and genetic   molecular tags for polyester (PET) fibres to protect its   such as ink, varnish, thread, laminates and metal   region in Uzbekistan excluded from this system, so   forced labour.
 most difficult task is to identify the natural DNA of   testing look for similarities in the genetic markers   supply chain. Molecular tags can be used to track   coatings. The SigNature DNA platform has proven   no Uzbek cotton is free from forced labour. Recently,
 each species of cotton. This could eventually enable   between two biological samples. Because all cells in   high-quality and high-performance grades of PET,   highly resistant to UV radiation, heat, cold, vibration,   in a report submitted by the International Labour   Useful links
 consumers and retailers to know if any fibres have   the body contain exactly the same DNA, samples   where the specifications are demanding. Similarly,   abrasion and other extreme environmental   Organization (ILO), a United Nations Agency, to the   Know more   http://adnas.com/
 come from countries that are using forced labour to   can be taken from almost anywhere in the body,   Recycled PET can be verified by the molecular   conditions, and a single SigNature DNA mark will   World Bank, third-party observations made clear that   Watch more   http://adnas.com/watch/
 harvest cotton. Applied DNA Sciences in Stony   including skin, hair follicles, blood and other bodily   certificate infused within the polymer after the   support several authentications in its lifetime.   progress against forced labour in Uzbekistan is   More on Textiles
 Brook, New York, tested more than one hundred   fluids. In the plant kingdom, DNA is contained within   recycling process.  Unsurpassed durability, accuracy and assurance   making significant strides. Uzbekistan has   http://adnas.com/supply-chain-certainty-textiles-appa
 products labelled as 100 percent Pima cotton last   the membrane-bound cell structures of the nucleus,                            phased-out organized child labour, and the “risk has   rel/
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