In a laboratory in Edinburgh, carefully selected enzymes are right now breaking down a sheep’s fleece in the name of science.
The research, which is being conducted by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, has identified three enzymes that have the potential to naturally alter the structure of wool when applied in a controlled way to achieve thinner, softer fibres. But fleece from flocks reared on more mountainous terrain and in harsher weather tends to be rougher, and wool prices – in particular for the coarser grades – have plummeted in recent years. There have been reports that rural farmers have found it not worth their while to sell on clipped fleece, instead leaving it discarded in sheds or left in fields for compost.
Managers at British Wool, a consortium owned by the UK’s 35,000 sheep farmers that collects, grades and sells their wool, hope that the Edinburgh research will have a “significant impact on driving new demand”.