About

Sonja Salmon is a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles with expertise in dyeing and finishing, polymer science, polymer/fiber/textile processing, and product development. Her research is inspired by nature and focuses on biotech textiles and sustainable polymers, with a special emphasis on enzyme-fiber interactions that enable increased utilization of bio-based materials for textile applications. Her work encompasses enzymatic modification, degradation, and processing of fibers, enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of fiber-forming polymers, and enzyme immobilization in fibers to develop biocatalytic textiles. Salmon's research aims to explore properties, mechanisms, and prototypes of bio-based and biocatalytic textiles for applications in sustainable textiles, CO2 gas management, water treatment, and waste remediation. She has led and contributed to multiple funded projects, including fundamental research on enzyme immobilization for gas molecule transformation, CO2 capture, and conversion, as well as sustainable fiber degradation techniques. Her work addresses global challenges such as greenhouse gas mitigation, renewable energy, and environmental sustainability. Salmon is actively involved in teaching courses related to biobased textile materials, chemistry of biopolymers, and polymer and color chemistry laboratory, and she values industry partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve impactful outcomes.

Research topics

• Engineering
• Organic chemistry
• Waste management
• Composite material
• Chemistry
• Materials science
• Biochemical engineering
• Process engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Pulp and paper industry

Selected publications

• Goals and Progress in the Biocatalyst Interactions with Gases (BIG) Collaboration

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-03-11

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The Biocatalyst Interactions with Gases (BIG) Collaboration between North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is investigating fundamental gas-enzyme-interface interactions for three life-essential gas conversion reactions: 1) conversion of CO2 to bicarbonate catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase for carbon capture, 2) reduction of CO2 to formate catalyzed by formate dehydrogenase (FDH) for carbon utilization, and 3) reduction of N2 to ammonia catalyzed by nitrogenase, the central reaction in nitrogen fixation. Our goals are to build basic knowledge and technology platforms for gas phase enzyme reactions and to explore the feasibility of enzyme-based processes for gas molecule transformations. Addressing these challenges requires expertise, collaboration and knowledge sharing across many disciplines. We hosted this Technology Translation Virtual Event to share findings from our team as well as highlight the efforts of distinguished researchers in this field, with the goal of inspiring increased curiosity, networking and support that will advance these technologies. We envision that enhancing biocatalyst interactions with gases by minimizing reaction barriers near immobilized enzyme interfaces will ultimately lead to replacements of critical chemical processes with enzymatic approaches that contribute to global sustainability solutions.

  PublisherDOI

• Carbon dioxide point-source and direct air capture using biocatalytic textiles

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Goals and Progress in the Biocatalyst Interactions with Gases (BIG) Collaboration

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-03-11

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The Biocatalyst Interactions with Gases (BIG) Collaboration between North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is investigating fundamental gas-enzyme-interface interactions for three life-essential gas conversion reactions: 1) conversion of CO2 to bicarbonate catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase for carbon capture, 2) reduction of CO2 to formate catalyzed by formate dehydrogenase (FDH) for carbon utilization, and 3) reduction of N2 to ammonia catalyzed by nitrogenase, the central reaction in nitrogen fixation. Our goals are to build basic knowledge and technology platforms for gas phase enzyme reactions and to explore the feasibility of enzyme-based processes for gas molecule transformations. Addressing these challenges requires expertise, collaboration and knowledge sharing across many disciplines. We hosted this Technology Translation Virtual Event to share findings from our team as well as highlight the efforts of distinguished researchers in this field, with the goal of inspiring increased curiosity, networking and support that will advance these technologies. We envision that enhancing biocatalyst interactions with gases by minimizing reaction barriers near immobilized enzyme interfaces will ultimately lead to replacements of critical chemical processes with enzymatic approaches that contribute to global sustainability solutions.

  PublisherDOI

• 2026 Biocatalyst Interactions with Gases Technology Translation Virtual Event Summary

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-03-31

  otherOpen accessSenior author

  This three-hour virtual webinar-style event featured eight expert speakers involved in projects and initiatives that use enzymes, namely carbonic anhydrase (CA) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH), to accelerate the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to bicarbonate (HCO3-) or formate, with potential for subsequent bioconversions to commodity chemicals like acetate. The scope of talks spanned from the fundamental science of enzyme design, expression and immobilization to results of lab scale application testing, plans for pilot-scale testing, and projections for technoeconomic feasibility. The webinar attracted 69 participants from 10 countries. Examples of immediate impact are: increased awareness of progress in the field, reconnections and new connections by researchers in the field, sharing of links to relevant publications during the Q&A, and invitations among participants to contribute to future events being planned by diverse groups.

  PublisherDOI

• Bio-based Additive Manufacturing Using Enzymatically Recycled Cotton Textile Waste

  2026-01-01

  articleSenior author

  Apparel waste management is a global challenge that is becoming increasingly dire with the rise of fast fashion supply chain models, resulting in the projected accumulation of gigatons of textile waste in the world’s landfills by 2040. Moving towards textile circularity would divert waste from landfills, reduce dependence on carbon- and resource-intensive virgin materials, and serve as an opportunity for important value retention of these highly engineered materials. However, textile recycling is challenging due to the difficulty of separating complicated apparel products and fiber blends into useful waste streams. Enzymes present a potential solution because, together with simple filtration, they are adept at separating fiber blends (unlike mechanical recycling techniques such as shredding) due to their substrate selectivity (i.e. extracting cotton fragments form a cotton/polyester blend while leaving the polyester intact). NCSU’s Textile Biocatalysis Research group has developed an enzyme-mediated process to efficiently degrade the cotton components of model apparel materials into slurries of micro-scale cotton fiber fragments (CFFs) and soluble sugars under mild reaction conditions. In addition to attractive cellulose attributes such as biodegradability, thermomechanical stability, and readily modified chemical functionality, the residual CFFs are highly crystalline and have dimensions that are suitable for the development of bio-based additive manufacturing feedstocks. The focus of this research is the reassembly of these enzymatically degraded micro-scale fragments into industrially relevant, bio-based macro-scale objects (such as structural meshes and grids for apparel, footwear, and home furnishings) via 3D printing. Rather than disrupting the CFF crystallinity via harsh dissolution procedures, as occurs during the production of viscose or lyocell, the fragments will be suspended in extrudable liquid media, with minimal added compounds in alignment with green chemistry principles, and then coalesced to achieve structural integrity. Initial prototypes have shown both the feasibility of the CFFs as an additive manufacturing feedstock material, as well as their potential industrial versatility by modifying feedstock formulation and post-print processing conditions towards diverse, application-specific final object properties. The fabrication of proof-of-concept cellulosic bioink printed prototypes will serve to demonstrate a potential pathway for commercial valorization of the waste cotton fiber fragments and incentivize industrial textile waste recycling.

  PublisherDOI

• Carbon dioxide point-source and direct air capture using biocatalytic textiles

  Carbon Capture Science & Technology · 2026-03-14

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  • Carbonic anhydrase reliably enhances carbon capture under eco-friendly conditions • Textile contactors promote liquid wicking for efficient CO 2 reactive absorption • Bifunctional reactive dyes offer a scalable enzyme immobilization approach • Enzyme catalysis shows potential to enhance ex situ mineralization • Biocatalytic textiles offer a diverse and practical platform for CO 2 mitigation Biocatalytic textiles were developed and tested as high-efficiency gas-liquid contactors for reactive CO 2 absorption using eco-friendly solvents catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase. The testing in lab to bench-scale systems with various configurations showed that biocatalytic textiles are durable and compatible with multiple different alkaline CO 2 absorption solvents across wide working concentrations, including secondary amines, carbonates, amino acids, and abundant natural water sources like pH-adjusted seawater and spring water. Biocatalytic textile contactors proved to be remarkably robust across diverse conditions, delivering similar percent CO 2 capture regardless of inlet CO 2 concentrations. By controlling gas and liquid flows, packing height and mode of enzyme delivery, single-pass CO 2 absorption efficiencies up to 95% were achieved at lab scale. Biocatalytic textiles were able to withstand repeated washing and drying, immersion and shaking in heated solvents, ambient dry storage for many months, and continuous solvent flow testing for hundreds of hours without performance reduction. Integrated bench unit testing with aqueous MDEA solvent and biocatalytic textile packing modules achieved a CO 2 adsorption rate increase of over 200% at low 1.8 L/G when compared to traditional steel structured packing. A straightforward enzyme crosslinking technology based on fiber reactive dyes developed in the course of this work makes fabrication and scale up possible using established textile manufacturing infrastructure, and a solvent composition based on seawater and wood ash extract offers potential for ex-situ mineralization of CO 2 to permanent solid carbonates for utilization or storage.

  PublisherDOI

• 2026 Biocatalyst Interactions with Gases Technology Translation Virtual Event Summary

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-03-31

  otherOpen accessSenior author

  This three-hour virtual webinar-style event featured eight expert speakers involved in projects and initiatives that use enzymes, namely carbonic anhydrase (CA) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH), to accelerate the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to bicarbonate (HCO3-) or formate, with potential for subsequent bioconversions to commodity chemicals like acetate. The scope of talks spanned from the fundamental science of enzyme design, expression and immobilization to results of lab scale application testing, plans for pilot-scale testing, and projections for technoeconomic feasibility. The webinar attracted 69 participants from 10 countries. Examples of immediate impact are: increased awareness of progress in the field, reconnections and new connections by researchers in the field, sharing of links to relevant publications during the Q&A, and invitations among participants to contribute to future events being planned by diverse groups.

  PublisherDOI

• Modeling CO2 Mass Transfer Dynamics in Falling Liquid Films Over Textile Fiber Surfaces

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Techno-Economic Analysis of Industrial-Scale Fermentation for Formate Dehydrogenase (FDH) Production

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Colorimetric Esterase Activity Assay for Carbonic Anhydrase

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jialong Shen

  Guilin University of Technology

  31 shared

• Yue Yuan

  15 shared

• Jeannie Egan

  North Carolina State University

  13 shared

• Md. Asaduzzaman

  Bangladesh University of Textiles

  12 shared

• Xiaomeng Fang

  North Carolina State University

  12 shared

• Sen Zhang

  Fuzhou Second Hospital

  12 shared

• Siyan Wang

  Wilson College

  9 shared

• Isabel Albelo

  Wilson College

  8 shared

Labs

• Research Lab at Wilson College of TextilesPI

Education

• PhD Fiber and Polymer Science

  North Carolina State University

  1995

Awards & honors

• Collaboration Accomplishing real impact beyond one’s own rea…