Sonja Salmon

Bio

Research

Inspired by Nature, my research team is engaged in new developments in biotech textiles and sustainable polymers, with special focus on enzyme-fiber interactions that enable increased utilization of bio-based materials for textile applications. Our work on enzyme-fiber interactions encompasses enzymatic modification, degradation and processing of fibers, enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of fiber-forming polymers, and enzyme immobilization in fibers for the development and production of a new class of materials we call Biocatalytic Textiles. We are exploring the properties, mechanisms, prototyping and use of bio-based and biocatalytic textiles for applications in desirable, sustainable textiles, CO2 gas management, water treatment and waste remediation.

Teaching

• TC567 (TC589) – Biobased Textile Materials and Processes , Fall
• PCC471 – Chemistry of Biopolymers , Spring
• PCC104 – Polymer and Color Chemistry Laboratory (occasionally)
• PCC301 – Technology of Dyeing and Finishing (occasionally)
• PCC302 – Technology of Textile Wet Processing (occasionally)
• TC530 – Chemistry of Textile Auxiliaries (occasionally)
• PCC490 – Undergraduate Research in Polymer and Color Chemistry , Fall and Spring
• TC630 – Graduate Student Independent Study , Fall and Spring

Organizations

• American Chemical Society
• American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists

Collaboration

Accomplishing real impact beyond one’s own reach requires collaboration with others, collaboration across disciplines, across geographies, languages, time zones and time lines. It requires hard work, a lot of laughter, and believing in things that at first seem impossible. We value our industry partnerships and strive to build relationships that result in successful outcomes for the students, the partners and the university.

Area(s) of Expertise

Dyeing and Finishing
Polymer Science
Polymer/Fiber/Textile Processing
Product Development
Textile Chemistry
Carbon Dioxide Capture
Enzymology

Publications

• Advances in biomimetic carbonic anhydrase strategies for CO2 capture , Trends in Biotechnology (2025)
• Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Epoxidized Cottonseed Oil as a Sustainable PVC Plasticizer , ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS (2025)
• Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations of a Textile CO₂ Capture Contactor Design , ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING (2025)
• Enzymatic degumming of hemp: a literature review , CELLULOSE (2025)
• Enzyme-Induced Nanocavity Formation in Leaf-Shaped Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for Functional Entrapment of Carbonic Anhydrase , Nano Letters (2025)
• Enzyme-Induced Nanocavity Formation in Leaf-shaped Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for Functional Entrapment of Carbonic Anhydrase , (2025)
• Techno-economic analysis of industrial-scale fermentation for formate dehydrogenase (FDH) production , Bioresources and Bioprocessing (2025)
• 3D‐Printed Hydrogel Filter for Biocatalytic CO₂ Capture , Advanced Materials Technologies (2024)
• Biocatalytic Textiles for CO2 Point-Source and Direct Air Capture , SSRN Electronic Journal (2024)
• Critical Factors in Lab-Scale Compostability Testing , Journal of Polymers and the Environment (2024)

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