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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria Biomass
as a Chromophoric Particulate System
for Textile Printing: A Material-Driven
Review Toward Sustainable Printing
1
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy,
Department of Textile Engineering, St. Rugjer Boskovic No. 16, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
2
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy,
Department of Food and Biotechnology, St. Rugjer Boskovic No. 16, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
Submission date: 2026-04-11
Final revision date: 2026-07-02
Acceptance date: 2026-07-24
Online publication date: 2026-09-30
Corresponding author
Emilija Toshikj
Department of Textile Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, St. Rugjer Boskovic No.16, 1000, Skopje, North Macedonia
Department of Textile Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, St. Rugjer Boskovic No.16, 1000, Skopje, North Macedonia
KEYWORDS
purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB)textile printing pastebio-based printing materialsbacterial pigmentseco-printingsustainable printing
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The textile industry remains one of the most resource-intensive manufacturing sectors, and
textile printing still relies heavily on synthetic colorants, auxiliary chemicals, and solvent- or energyintensive
processing. Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) have attracted interest as a bio-based platform
for sustainable biomanufacturing because they can convert light and low-value organic substrates
into pigment-rich biomass. This review examines a concept that has received little attention in
textile research: the use of intact PNSB biomass, rather than extracted pigments, as a chromophoric
particulate phase for textile printing. From a materials-oriented perspective, the review considers
how the micrometer-scale dimensions of PNSB cells, the intracellular organization of carotenoids and
bacteriochlorophylls, and the resulting optical response may support pigment-style surface coloration.
Key issues relevant to translation into printing systems are discussed, including biomass production
and preparation, dispersion stability, matrix and binder interactions, rheological requirements,
fixation pathways, and expected durability. The potential sustainability advantages of this concept
include avoidance of extraction-intensive pigment processing, reduced chemical complexity, and
compatibility with waste-derived cultivation routes. At the same time, important challenges remain,
particularly biomass standardization, batch-to-batch optical variability, preservation of pigment–protein
organization during downstream processing, and validation of print performance. Overall, the review
reframes intact PNSB biomass as a candidate particulate color phase for textile printing and identifies the main research questions that must be addressed before this concept can be evaluated experimentally
and technologically.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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