BioMADE Announces $26.9 Million Invested in 17 Projects Supporting U.S. Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovations and Workforce Development
Projects will support the domestic production of sustainable materials and chemicals for consumer products and defense applications, while also creating the manufacturing workforce of the future.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN/EMERYVILLE, CA, October 30, 2024 – Today, BioMADE announced 17 innovative new projects that will drive the scale-up and commercialization of American biomanufactured products. They include producing biodegradable plastics; upcycling waste to create new products; certification programs to prepare the workforce of tomorrow’s U.S. bioeconomy; developing cell-free systems for commodity chemicals; and more.
These projects highlight the breadth and depth of BioMADE’s membership, representing 30 member organizations—spanning 18 states from New York to Texas—throughout the private and nonprofit sectors, academic research institutions, and community colleges. This work will revitalize American manufacturing by advancing and commercializing the bioindustrial production of components incorporated into everyday items; reshoring manufacturing jobs; and bolstering a domestic supply chain of commodity and platform chemicals. This announcement embodies BioMADE’s mission of supporting projects that will enhance competitiveness of the U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing industry.
“America’s leadership in research must be matched by leadership in process and scale-up capability. That is what today’s biomanufacturing announcement is all about,” said Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar. “That’s how the vision of engineering living cells to sustainably produce chemicals, materials, and structures will become a reality. Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we can lead the world in biomanufacturing.”
“The next five to ten years will determine the global leader of the bioeconomy. At BioMADE, we believe the U.S. is uniquely positioned to seize this opportunity,” said Dr. Douglas Friedman, Chief Executive Officer at BioMADE. “We are proud to support these member-driven projects that will translate our country’s rich history of biotechnology innovation into manufacturing leadership. All Americans will benefit from investments in America’s bioindustrial manufacturing future.”
Bioindustrial manufacturing uses biological systems—including microbes such as bacteria, yeast, and algae—to produce materials and chemicals that are incorporated into products we use every day, like bio-based cement, plant-based nylon, paints and adhesives, and more. The processes are powered by feedstocks from the U.S., such as corn, woody biomass, waste gases, and agricultural waste – thereby creating new markets for farmers, spurring rural job growth nationwide, ending U.S. reliance on foreign materials imports, and manufacturing sustainable products on American soil.
“The U.S. has all the foundational pieces to build a flourishing bioeconomy. Working collaboratively across the public and private sectors, we can overcome challenges on the road to commercialization,” said Dr. Melanie Tomczak, Head of Programs and Chief Technology Officer at BioMADE. “Our incredible members are developing the technology behind the bio-based products of tomorrow. These projects will help to bridge the gap between bioindustrial manufacturing and U.S. consumers, stocking store shelves with more sustainable products and giving ‘Made in America’ a renewed meaning.”
By supporting the scale-up of bioindustrial manufacturing technology from research labs to commercial production, BioMADE and its network of nearly 300 members across 37 states are strengthening American competitiveness, securing the U.S. supply chain, reshoring manufacturing jobs, supporting rural development and domestic agriculture, and producing more sustainable products untethered from reliance on petroleum. BioMADE is building a diverse and globally competitive STEM workforce, preparing American workers to fill new jobs throughout the U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem, including BioMADE’s national infrastructure network of pilot-scale facilities. BioMADE was catalyzed by the U.S. Department of Defense and is a proud member of Manufacturing USA®. Read about the new projects below and learn more about BioMADE by visiting biomade.org.
Projects
17 projects | $13.9 million federal funds | $13 million non-federal cost share
Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Defense
Greener Chemistry via Process Integration and Intensification at Pilot Scale – This project will domestically biomanufacture Ecoteria™, a bio-based malonate product platform. The resulting products offer safety, sustainability, and supply chain resilience benefits while meeting or exceeding performance specifications for fragrances, coatings, agricultural chemicals, and more.
Member: Lygos (CA)Protein Production for Cell-Free Biomanufacturing: Application to Sustainable Aviation Fuel – Researchers are developing a novel cell-free approach for isobutanol production. This project will help manufacturers take the next step toward cell-free biomanufacturing by developing an enzyme production and processing pipeline and deploying the technology in 100L pilot-scale facilities. Isobutanol is a commodity chemical and precursor to sustainable aviation fuel.
Member team: Invizyne Technologies (CA), University of Georgia (GA)Upcycling Wastes to Carboxylic Acids by Integrating Fermentation and Separation – By harnessing cutting-edge technology, this project will convert diverse organic waste streams into high-value medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs) such as caproic and caprylic acid. These bioproducts serve as pivotal platform chemicals for a multitude of applications, including as materials, consumer products, and chemicals that are currently produced from petrochemicals.
Member team: Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering (MD), Technology Holding (UT), CleanJoule (UT)Engineered Yeast Lysis to Intensify Intracellular Product Recovery – Researchers are collaborating to improve intracellular product recovery from yeast systems by engineering programmed lysis of the cell wall. This research will enhance biomanufacturers’ ability to commercialize many bioproducts that accumulate intracellularly, such as lipids, vitamins, pigments, proteins, biosurfactants, and polysaccharides.
Member team: Manus (GA), University of Texas at Austin (TX)Gas Fermentation to Enable Decentralized Local Biomaterials Manufacturing – This project will scale up and commercialize a biomanufacturing technology that utilizes methane gas to produce the biopolymer polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). This will facilitate point-of-need production for biodegradable plastic replacements while enabling decentralized production of materials.
Member team: Mango Materials (CA), University of California, Davis (CA), Black & Veatch (KS)Sustainable Bio-Acrylics and Organic Acids Separations Through Novel Techniques – This project will accelerate the commercialization of the anaerobic bio-production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) – an important molecule that’s a precursor to the $25 billion acrylates industry – by leveraging existing ethanol infrastructure. Acrylates have diverse applications, including consumer products paints, and adhesives.
Member team: Bluestem Biosciences (NE), ideaCHEM (SD), Iowa State University (IA), Southeast Community College (NE)Building a Tropical Sustainability Center Through Collaboration – This project will adapt promising pre-treatment technologies for bioindustrial manufacturing with feedstocks from Hawaii, conduct training for remote rural environments, and include culturally appropriate approaches to ensure community acceptance. Researchers will screen different kinds of feedstock to evaluate conversion into cellulosic sugars for the production of ethanol – a key product and intermediate for sustainable aviation fuel and ethylene commodity chemicals.
Member team: NCERC at SIUE (IL), University of Hawai‘i – Hilo (HI)Biomanufacturing Project Management Certificate Program – A new Biomanufacturing Project Management Certificate Program created by this project will help create a resilient workforce skilled at both guiding diverse teams and fostering innovation in biomanufacturing. The program will include a core program and two elective tracks, plus industry-informed projects focused on green chemistry biomanufacturing.
Member team: Binghamton University (NY), NCERC at SIUE (IL)The Security and Safety Implications of Cell-Free Systems for Biomanufacturing – In order to better inform policy and regulatory efforts, this project will analyze the security and safety implications of biomanufacturing using cell-free systems-based solutions. Together, the experimental and safety data generated by this project will enable the development of cell-free systems toward market applications.
Member team: University of Minnesota (MN), Georgia Tech (GA)Genetic Toolkit for Non-Model Organisms – This project will develop a suite of genetic tools for three environmental bacteria which have been identified as high-priority engineering targets for sustainable biomanufacturing of materials and commodity chemicals.
Member: Rice University (TX)A Biomanufacturing Approach to Sustainable Textile Fibers from Spent Yeast – By harnessing low-cost spent yeast biomass as a textile feedstock, this project will optimize processes to biomanufacture textile fibers.
Member team: Tandem Repeat Technologies (PA), ARCTOS Technology Solutions (OH), University of Georgia (GA)Sustainable Carbon Fiber Made from Waste – Using waste products such as ethanol and carbon dioxide, this project will help create a domestic supply chain for biobased carbon fiber.
Member team: Industrial Microbes (CA), Georgia Tech University (GA)Continuous Biomanufacturing of High Value Products from Food Waste – By advancing the recycling of food waste via arrested anaerobic digestion, this project will advance sustainable biomanufacturing of lubricants from food waste streams.
Member team: Capra Biosciences (VA), Virginia Tech University (VA)Domestic Supply of Heparin – This project will develop a technical, regulatory, and manufacturing approach to scale production of recombinant heparin from lab to stir tank bioreactors. ARMI | BioFabUSA will provide scientific and regulatory advisement on process and product development, quality control, and scale-up.
Member: Tega Therapeutics (CA) | Partnership with ARMI | BioFabUSAState of Technology Studies – These State of Technology studies will review and synthesize current literature, assess regulatory concerns, and produce landscape and commercial feasibility reports. The studies will cover:
Biomaterials for stabilizing defense materials in Arctic environments, led by Montana State University (MT)
Enzyme technology and cell-based conversion for biobased manufacture of specialty chemicals, polymers, and low carbon footprint fuels and bioproducts, led by Purdue University (IN)
Addressing materials degradation through the production of bio-preservatives, led by Tufts University (MA)