Coated silk fibroin articles and methods of making and using the same are disclosed. The articles have a reduced water uptake and improved mechanical properties when compared with uncoated comparable articles. The article includes a silk fibroin article core and a biodegradable hydrophobic polymer layer substantially encompassing the silk fibroin article core. The article has either: (i) at least one mechanical property that is at least 50% greater than a reference mechanical property of the silk fibroin article core in the absence of the biodegradable hydrophobic polymer layer, wherein the at least one mechanical property includes a three-point bending flexural strain; or (ii) a water uptake that is at least 50% lower than a reference water uptake of the silk fibroin article core in the absence of the biodegradable hydrophobic polymer layer.

A method for dyeing, such as vat dyeing, or coating synthetic fibers, such as polyester fibers and/or polyamide fibers, or yarns or fabrics including these fibers can include providing a powdered dye or a powdered precursor dye (powdered leuko dye), or providing an aqueous dye formulation or an aqueous precursor dye formulation (an alkaline aqueous leuko dye formulation). An aqueous system including a lipase enzyme can be provided. The fibers/yarn/fabric can be pretreated with the aqueous system, and the pretreated fibers/yarn/fabric can be coated or dyed with the powdered dye or powdered precursor dye, or with the aqueous dye formulation or aqueous precursor dye formulation.

The present invention relates to a process wherein one or more dye precursors, e.g., indole, are provided to a textile and converted by one or more enzymes, e.g., an oxidizing enzyme, to provide the textile with a dye, e.g. indigo. At least the oxidizing enzyme is a hybrid enzyme including a binding domain that is suitable to bind the enzyme to the textile and/or increase the affinity of the enzyme for the textile, in particular, a cellulose binding domain (CBD).

A method of treating a fabric, comprising contacting the fabric with an aqueous liquor comprising a fabric care component selected from the group consisting of cationic softening-compounds, silicone softening-compounds, paraffins, dispersible polyolefins, waxes and mixtures thereof; and contacting the fabric with an aqueous liquor comprising a nuclease enzyme, preferably a deoxyribonuclease or ribonuclease enzyme. The aqueous liquor may be provided by adding a cleaning or treatment composition to water. Preferably the composition comprises a surfactant, the wash liquor comprising from 0.05 to 4 g/l of a surfactant.

A substrate or coating is provided that includes a protease with enzymatic activity toward a component of a biological stain. Also provided is a process for facilitating the removal of a biological stain is provided wherein an inventive substrate or coating including a protease is capable of enzymatically degrading of one or more components of the biological stain to facilitate biological stain removal from the substrate or said coating.

The disclosure provides flexible, hydrophobic textiles, methods of producing the textiles and uses of the textiles. The flexible, hydrophobic textiles feel and behave like leather. The textiles are prepared from a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast and are reacted with silica sol.

Cleaning compositions may include at least 0.001 ppm of a polypeptide having hexosaminidase activity. The cleaning compositions may include a polypeptide having at least 60% sequence identity to the mature polypeptide shown in one or more of the motif(s) of SEQ ID NO 7, SEQ ID 8, SEQ ID 9, SEQ ID 10, SEQ ID 11, or combinations thereof. The cleaning compositions may be or include laundry detergents, fabric finishers, acidic cleaning agents, neutral cleaning agents, alkaline cleaning agents, hand dishwashing agents, automatic dishwasher compositions, or combinations thereof.

A yarn reinforced bacterial cellulose hybrid composition includes a two-dimensional yarn mesh stretched and embedded within a BC sheet. Such materials are fabricated by providing a bacterial cellulose-producing bacterium; providing a suitable bacteria nutritional medium; culturing the bacterium in the nutritional medium under conditions to produce bacterial cellulose; and providing a two-dimensional yarn mesh having a defined pattern such that the yarn mesh is embedded within the bacterial cellulose.

Bioactive coatings that include a base and a protein associated with the base for actively promoting the removal of organic stains are provided. In aspects, bioactive coatings that are stabilized against inactivation by weathering are provided including a base associated with a chemically modified enzyme, and, optionally a first polyoxyethylene present in the base and independent of the enzyme. The coatings are optionally overlayered onto a substrate to form an active coating facilitating the removal of organic stains or organic material from food, insects, or the environment.

Disclosed herein are peptide-containing anti-microbial coating compositions. The peptide-containing anti-microbial coating compositions can comprise an acrylic latex coating composition, an anti-microbial enzyme dispersed within the acrylic coating composition and an anti-microbial peptide dispersed within the acrylic coating composition. The anti-microbial enzyme and the anti-microbial peptide are jointly selected to synergistically enhance lysis efficacy of the coating composition in comparison to lysis efficacy of the coating composition with the anti-microbial enzyme alone. The acrylic coating can be an acrylic latex coating composition is an acrylic latex paint.