Mission:
The mission of the Cotton Structure & Quality Research Unit is to develop and improve the methods for assessing quality and structural attributes of cotton fiber through all stages of production and processing. Applied disciplines include physics, chemistry, plant science, engineering, and textile technology. Specific research areas include improved understanding of the cotton fiber structural components such as primary wall composition and structure; more complete understanding of the relationship of water to cotton and its impact on fiber processing characteristics; determination of the ability to measure and the desirability of measuring key cotton fiber-yarn-fabric properties; demonstration of the value of adding new quality measurements to better predict cotton processing efficiency and product quality; and development of new quality assessment tools for cotton breeders.