Researchers seek funds for Husker fiber

Published On: May 1, 2012

Corn-husk fiber may be the next big thing in sustainable textiles, if two research scientists at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have their way. Professors Michael James and Yiqi Yang have developed“Husker fiber” into a prototype sweater, but require millions of dollars in capital to develop hundreds of pounds of the fiber for manufacturers to test and apply to specific products. James and Yang want to construct a bio-fibers development lab to produce large quantities of Husker, and have received $500,000 from the Nebraska Research Initiative and nibbles of interest from Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance and NUtech Ventures.“If you look at any industry, somebody had the idea and didn’t proceed with it and somebody else came along and grabbed it,” says James, who is certain the new fiber will succeed in the marketplace. Read more about Husker fiber at The Daily Nebraskan.