ON THE CUTTING EDGE: Funky Chicken
Textile scientists are working on making chicken feathers into fabrics that resemble wool, linen, or cotton. LiveScience.com reports that annual consumption of natural and synthetic fibers is 67 million tons worldwide, for clothing, carpets, vehicles, construction materials, and alternative sources of fibers from which these items can be made could help reduce use of petroleum-based synthetics, such as Polyester. Like wool, chicken feathers are largely composed the protein keratin. Scientists believe that the barbs and barbules that make up the fluffy parts of the feather could feel like wool on the skin.
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