STONY BROOK, N.Y.— September 4, 2024 — Applied DNA Sciences Inc. (Applied DNA), a developer of PCR-based DNA technologies, today announced the receipt of a subcontract award from LRQA following a competitive tender for a pilot isotopic testing program. Under the terms of the subcontract, Applied DNA, together with its traceability partner, Isotech — a Stratum Reservoir company — will employ CertainT® to conduct isotopic testing and analysis to support cotton traceability in Pakistan. Financial terms of the subcontract were not disclosed.
CertainT is Applied DNA’s textiles traceability platform that uses forensic, multiple-proof-point evidence to enable source and authenticity verification of materials and products at any point as they are transformed through global supply chains. LRQA is a leading global assurance company that brings together decades of unrivaled expertise in assessment, advisory, inspection, and cybersecurity services.
The subcontract with Applied DNA was issued in support of the Global Trace Protocol project, a U.S. Department of Labor-funded initiative implemented by LRQA (known as ELEVATE during the Project’s inception) that is designed to reduce child and forced labor in global supply chains through traceability. The project engages with trace experts, global brands, Pakistan’s cotton sector, and worker organizations to design, implement, and assess the pilot trace tool to improve its future application and develop publicly available commodity-agnostic trace resources for enhanced due diligence.
Jeff Wheeler, director of the Global Trace Protocol project at LRQA, stated: “New import regulations and legislation now require extra documentation to verify cotton origin and ensure that cotton does not come from high-risk sources. The Global Trace Protocol project is developing traceability technology tools that provide greater transparency and integrity to textile value chains globally, including through our work with Applied DNA.”
Applied DNA and Isotech will utilize best practices in the isotopic analysis of raw materials and products at key points in the cotton textile value chain, aligning with the Project’s overarching goals. Some of the testing components include the use of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) on samples from farms, gins, yarn spinners, and mills/manufacturing units identified by the Project. CertainT will establish a baseline as part of the pilot Project of the framework for isotope testing and analyses.
MeiLin Wan, vice president of Textiles at Applied DNA, said, “Our CertainT platform employs isotope testing as well as DNA tagging and genomic testing as forensic authentication technologies to establish traceability to prove origin. Our recent announcement with Indus Apparel of isotope testing with DNA tagging showcases the scalability and accessibility of cotton authentication technologies that will also help Pakistan’s cotton industry to enable compliance with U.S. import regulations and similar enforcement in other geographies.”
Global Trace Protocol Project Funding
Funding for the Global Trace Protocol project is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL-35808-20-75-K-. 100 percent of the total costs of the Global Trace Protocol project is financed with federal funds, for a total of USD 4,000,000*.
The isotopic testing pilot project contract is awarded to Applied DNA through a subcontract from LRQA in support of the Global Trace Protocol project.
*This announcement does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government.
Posted: September 4, 2024
Source: Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.
