Congratulations to Binayak Raj Pandey for being awarded the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Foundation Student Research Support Grant

Congratulations to Binayak Raj Pandey, a third-year Microbiology PhD student in Dr. Xiang’s lab, for being awarded the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Foundation Student Research Support Grant for 2025! Apart from the grant, he also received future travel reimbursement of up to $500 for travel and/or registration to present the research project at the AATCC Annual Conference or other technical conferences. The purpose of this grant was to encourage original research in textile design, materials, processing, and testing. His award-winning project, titled “Regeneration of Functional Bacterial Cellulose Fiber Mats with Antimicrobial and Ultraviolet Resistant Properties via Wet Electrospinning for Biotextile Applications,” seeks to add innovations to functional biotextiles for biomedicals. This recognition from the AATCC underscores the crucial role of microbiology by integrating material science, textile science, and fiber science to develop the next generation of sustainable and functional textiles.