Algae Used to Make Cheaper Dye
Certain algae have shells which can display any color, depending on the physical design of their shell (in other words, the geometry of their shell can trick your eyes into seeing any color in the rainbow). If these bacteria are attached to fabric, they can act as the coloring agent. The benefit is that dye is no longer needed to color fabric, which both cuts the cost and improves the fabric’s strength/durability. If it becomes both cheap and easy to adopt, this small improvement could save loads of money for both manufacturers and customers over the long run.
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/news/2007/10/eco_textiles
