In this episode of the Global Challenge Podcast we look at resilience in the fashion and textile industry, particularly in relation to recent events such as Brexit and the pandemic. We will look at how these events have shaken the industry but also how they have led to adaptation and innovation for the sector. We hear from a variety of perspectives…

Cotton is a natural fibre but the journey that this fibre takes from the humble cotton plant to your everyday t-shirt is quite unnatural. In this episode, we take a deep dive into why cotton could potentially be the most environmentally damaging fibre that is polluting our oceans on an enormous scale. This episode is hosted by Professor Richard Bla…

What factors influence what clothes we decide to wear frequently, keep at the back of our wardrobes forever or send to the charity shop? Is developing an emotional attachment to our clothes the key to driving more sustainable consumption within the fashion industry? In this podcast we discuss the durability of our clothes emotionally and physically…

In this episode, we explore colour forecasting in the metaverse. We first establish what we mean by the metaverse and colour forecasting before exploring the opportunities and the potential disruptions that colour forecasting in the metaverse may have on fashion trends, both in the physical and virtual world.…

In this episode we look at the role of textiles in healthcare, and how textiles can make an impact on patients, healthcare providers, and industry. More specifically, we explore how textiles are employed in the clinic for the treatment of chronic wounds, and the journey that researchers and clinicians take together to translate an idea for wound ma…

Following on from our first episode where we discovered what microfibres are and their potential harm to our environment. In this episode we hear about the solutions that the textile industry and academia are trying to put in place to reduce microfibres shedding into our land, waterways and even the human body! In this episode we are joined by Prof…

Listen to the very first instalment of the Global Challenges Podcast, hosted by the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour. In this episode, we will be looking at the global environmental issue of microfibers. Our first episode is hosted by Dr Mark Sumner(lecturer in sustainable fashion at the University of Leeds) with guests: Kelly Sheridan (Head …

How can we defend rights online and offline?Human rights and civil liberties are of paramount importance to ensuring individuals are able to pursue a life free of tyranny in all its forms. From the growth of human trafficking to mass incarceration, rights violations are a global phenomenon.The violation of privacy rights has continued to grow with …

How can economic growth be more just?The Global Economy is projected to grow by 2.5% in 2020 but with the realisation that economic growth has often increased rather than decreased economic inequality, the blueprint for future economies needs to be re-evaluated. An estimated 44% of global wealth is owned by the richest 1% of people whilst sweatshop…

In remote regions of the world where electricity is hard to come by and scientific instruments are even scarcer, conducting medical tests at a doctor’s office or medical lab is rarely an option. Scientists are now reporting progress toward an inexpensive point-of-care, paper-based device to fill that void with no electronics required. Their study o…

With the “green” reputation of large hydroelectric dams already in question, scientists are reporting that millions of smaller dams on rivers around the world make an important contribution to the greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Their study, showing that more methane than previously believed bubbles out of the water behind small d…

As the Fukushima crisis continues to remind the world of the potential dangers of nuclear disposal and unforeseen accidents, scientists are reporting progress toward a new way to detect the radioactive materials uranium and plutonium in waste water. Their report on the design of a highly sensitive nanosensor appears in ACS’ The Journal of Physical …

Scientists are reporting an advance in smartphone-based imaging that could help physicians in far-flung and resource-limited locations monitor how well treatments for infections are working by detecting, for the first time, individual viruses. Their study on the light-weight device, which converts the phone into a powerful mini-microscope, appears …

A new process can convert a wide variety of vegetable and animal fats and oils — ranging from lard to waste cooking oil — into a key ingredient for making plastics that currently comes from petroleum, scientists say. Their report on the first-of-its-kind process appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.…

Energy conservation in a small number of households could go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are reporting. Their study, which measured differences in energy demands at the household level, appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.…

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.…

The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green. That’s the topic of a report in ACS’ journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.…

With the Deepwater Horizon disaster emphasizing the need for better ways of cleaning up oil spills, scientists are reporting that unprocessed, raw cotton may be an ideal, ecologically friendly answer, with an amazing ability to sop up oil. Their report, which includes some of the first scientific data on unprocessed, raw cotton’s use in crude oil s…

Using the same devious mechanism that enables some bacteria to shrug off powerful antibiotics, scientists have developed solar-powered nanofilters that remove antibiotics from the water in lakes and rivers twice as efficiently as the best existing technology. Their report appears in ACS’ journal NanoLetters.…

An innovative new process that releases the energy in coal without burning — while capturing carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas — has passed a milestone on the route to possible commercial use, scientists are reporting. Their study in the ACS journal Energy and Fuels describes results of a successful 200-hour test on a sub-pilot scale version…

Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that — literally. Their report in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology describes bacteria being “addicted” to caffeine in a way that promises practical uses ranging from decontamination of wastewater to bioproduction of medications for …

It may be the 21st century, with all its technological marvels, but 6 out of every 10 people on Earth still do not have access to flush toilets or other adequate sanitation that protects the user and the surrounding community from harmful health effects, a new study has found. The research, published in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Techno…

Today’s episode describes the first mobile application to foster wider use of the environmentally friendly and sustainable principles of green chemistry. It is the topic of a report in ACS’ new journal, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. The report on the pigment appears in ACS' Journal of the American Chemical Society.…

Today’s solution is an ancient Egyptian blue pigment used 5,000 years ago. The pigment is giving modern scientists clues toward the development of new nanomaterials that could have uses in medical imaging devices, remote controls, security ink and other technologies. The report on the pigment appears in ACS' Journal of the American Chemical Society…

Today’s solution is a promising substance that could be the basis for the development of a better antidote for cyanide poisoning. This is an advance toward closing a major gap in defenses against terrorist attacks and other mass casualty events. The report, which describes a potential antidote that could be self-administered — much like the medicat…

Today’s episode describes a new process for blowing up grains of rice to produce a super-nutritious form of puffed rice. The new rice has three times more protein and a rich endowment of other nutrients that make it ideal for breakfast cereals, snack foods and nutrient bars for school lunch programs. The study is the topic of a report in ACS’ the J…

Today’s solution is a new approach for tapping biomass as a sustainable raw material for ingredients in sunscreens, perfumes and other personal care products. The approach could open up new economic opportunities for tropical countries that grow such plants. A report appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.…

Today’s solution is a simple way to improve the sensitivity of the test often used to detect traces of explosives on the hands, carry-ons and other possessions of passengers at airport security screening stations. A group of scientists reported their innovation in ACS’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.…

Today’s solution is an antibacterial extract from the leaves of the carob tree (the source of a popular chocolate substitute) that could fight the microbe responsible for the serious form of food poisoning called listeriosis. The research appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Today’s report concludes that putting a speed limit on cargo ships as they sail near ports and coastlines could cut their emission of air pollutants by up to 70 percent. That would reduce the impact of marine shipping on Earth’s climate and on human health, the scientists say. Their evaluation of the impact of vessel speed reduction policies appear…

Today’s episode describes a study finding that the distribution system piping in U.S. public water systems that rely on non-disinfected well water or “ground water” may be a largely unrecognized cause of up to 1.1 million annual cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). That illness involves nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The study is the topi…

Today’s solution is a fungus that shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves – rather than corn itself – to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. The research appears in the ACS’ journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.

Today’s report concludes that contrary to popular belief, purified drinking water from home faucets still contains bacteria. And scientists are reporting discovery of a plausible way to manipulate those populations of mostly beneficial microbes to potentially benefit consumers.

Today’s episode describes development of a new transparent solar cell, an advance toward giving windows in homes and other buildings the ability to generate electricity while still allowing people to see outside.

Today’s study could solidify the trend toward construction of gigantic windmills. In a report in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology, scientists have concluded that the larger the wind turbine, the greener the electricity it produces.

Today’s report concludes that trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass canyons of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed. A report on the research appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology.…

Today’s episode describes a potential new approach for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) without traditional antibiotics.

Today’s solution is a new genre of electric power-generating stations that could supply electricity for more than a half billion people by tapping just one-tenth of the global potential of a little-known energy source that exists where rivers flow into the ocean.

Today’s development is an inexpensive and easy-to-use urine test for Type 2 diabetes ideally suited for rural India, China and other areas of the world where poverty limits the availability of health care. The report describing the paper-based device, which also could be adapted for the diagnosis and monitoring of other conditions and the environme…

A phenomenon first observed by an ancient Greek philosopher 2,300 years ago has become the basis for a new device designed to harvest the enormous amounts of energy wasted as heat each year to produce electricity. The first-of-its-kind “pyroelectric nanogenerator” is the topic of a report in ACS’ journal Nano Letters.…

Today’s episode announces that the world’s first “electrified snail” implanted with biofuel cells that generate electricity from natural sugar in their bodies. Scientists are describing how these biofuel cells could someday serve as energy for many electronics devices in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.…

Almost 80 percent of current farmland in the U.S. would have to be devoted to raising corn for ethanol production in order to meet current biofuel production targets with existing technology, a new study has found. An alternative, according to a study in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology, would be to convert 60 percent of existing r…

A simple, inexpensive dip-and-dry treatment can convert ordinary silk into a fabric that kills disease-causing bacteria — even the armor-coated spores of microbes like anthrax — in minutes, protect homes and other buildings in the event of a terrorist attack with anthrax, scientists are reporting in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.…

Today’s finding suggests that eating blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other berry fruits has beneficial effects on the brain and may help prevent age-related memory loss and other changes.

Today’s solution addresses the development of an inexpensive device used by millions of people with diabetes that could be adapted into a home detector for many diseases.

Today’s finding warns that children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults.

Scientists have developed and implanted into a living insect — the False Death's Head Cockroach — a miniature fuel cell that converts naturally occurring sugar in the insect and oxygen from the air into electricity. They term it an advance toward a source of electricity that could, in principle, be collected, stored and used to power sensors, camer…

Today’s solution addresses the development of a new test that could help track down and prosecute terrorists who use chemical agents.

Today’s solution uses the seeds of the miracle tree to produce clean drinking water. The water-treatment process requiring only tree seeds and sand could purify and clarify water inexpensively and sustainably in the developing world, where more than 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, scientists report.…