They start with something called indoxyl glycosyltransferase. This chemical, found in the indigo-producing plant Polygonum tinctorium, is capable of economically producing indican on an industrial ...

But San Francisco biotech firm Tinctorium believes it has the answer: genetically engineering bacteria to mirror the way the Japanese indigo plant, Polygonum Tinctorium, makes and holds its colour.

The raw materials used in Blue Calico, such as cotton and "Lan" grass (Polygonum tinctorium Ait), which provides the indigo dye, are all sourced from nature. The technique's blue and white color ...