BioMADE Announces Nine Projects, $18.7 Million to Advance Domestic Bioindustrial Manufacturing and DoD Sustainability Goals
Innovative new projects will advance sustainable food production,
make DoD fleets more resilient, secure domestic supply chains for key products,
and build a pipeline of trained workers.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN/EMERYVILLE, CA, September 14, 2023 – BioMADE today announced nine new leading-edge projects that will advance Department of Defense supply chain resiliency and sustainability goals, re-shore manufacturing jobs to the U.S., and enhance the domestic bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem. These innovative projects will produce natural rubber for a variety of military and commercial applications, convert waste into novel bioplastics, produce and evaluate healthy proteins and oils for the warfighter, and equip the next generation of the bioindustrial manufacturing workforce with the skills they need to be successful.
“These projects will help unlock the benefits of bioindustrial manufacturing for all Americans – from everyday consumers to farmers to warfighters,” said Dr. Douglas Friedman, Chief Executive Officer at BioMADE. “By creating new products and transforming how we domestically manufacture existing products, these projects – and the bioindustrial manufacturing industry at large – have the potential to positively impact nearly every aspect of our lives.”
Bioindustrial manufacturing harnesses the power of biology to manufacture the goods that Americans use every day. By starting with feedstocks grown by American farmers, bioindustrial manufacturing creates more robust and resilient supply chains with fewer international dependencies. Products such as industrial chemicals, durable fibers and fabrics, growable cement, fire-resistant composite materials, and food-grade proteins can all be produced through bioindustrial manufacturing. Several of these products have both commercial and important military applications that can be produced sustainably.
“These projects represent the breadth and depth of what can be accomplished with bioindustrial manufacturing,” said Dr. Melanie Tomczak, Head of Programs and Chief Technology Officer at BioMADE. “These innovations can play a key role in enhancing our military readiness, strengthening domestic supply chains, supporting American farmers, and creating jobs in rural communities.”
The projects announced today represent a variety of tools and applications including innovative food production, carbon capture technologies, waste-to-bioproducts conversion, and energy input reductions. They highlight BioMADE’s role in bringing together private industry, research universities, and nonprofit organizations, plus secondary schools and community colleges. They span the nation, working with 17 different member organizations across nine states – including emerging leaders in the biotechnology revolution, such as Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah.
BioMADE is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute catalyzed by the U.S. Department of Defense. By supporting the development of biomanufacturing technologies, BioMADE and its network of 225+ members across 34 states are strengthening American competitiveness, creating a more resilient supply chain, re-shoring manufacturing jobs, and producing more sustainable products without relying on foreign sources of energy. BioMADE is also building a diverse and globally competitive STEM workforce to ensure American workers are prepared and ready to fill new jobs within this rapidly growing industry. Read about the new projects below, and learn more about BioMADE by visiting biomade.org.
Technology and Innovation Projects
7 projects | $6.27 million federal funds | $7.49 million non-federal cost share
Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Defense
Accumulate and De-Risk Manufacturing for Commercial Readiness of Advanced Probiotics: This project enables rapid scale-up and commercialization of a recombinant antimicrobial probiotic that keeps poultry healthy, which will result in large-scale domestic manufacturing of the probiotic and help farmers raise healthy chickens while significantly decreasing the carbon footprint of protein production.
Member team: General Probiotics (MN), Ginkgo Bioworks (MA)
Development of a Sustainable, Low-Cost, Oil Process for Heart-Healthy DoD Rations: This project scales-up the domestic biomanufacturing and downstream processing of microalgae oils, to produce healthy, sustainable oils that can be used in a wide range of industries and products from materials to foods.
Member: Checkerspot (CA/UT)
Fluorescence and Raman Spectroscopy for Scaled-Down in Situ Product Monitoring: This project will evaluate scale-down approaches in microbioreactors and their applicability in predicting deployment of process analytical technology and fermentation performance throughout scale-up.
Member: North Carolina State University
Decarbonizing DoD Fleets Using Bio-Based Carbon Black from Domestic Agricultural Waste: Using feedstocks such as soybean molasses, bagasse, and wood residues, this project will develop samples of bio-based, carbon-negative carbon black and polymers. Carbon black is used in a wide range of products including rubber compounds and tires, and is traditionally heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
Member team: Origin Materials (CA), University of California-Davis
Potential Benefit of Superbrewed Food’s Sustainable Postbiotic Protein on Warfighter Health: This project will produce a sustainable protein ingredient and evaluate its potential benefits for the warfighter, including increased energy and endurance, shortened recovery times, improved focus and concentration, and overall performance.
Member: Superbrewed Food (DE)
U.S. Production of Natural Rubber to Reduce C-Release and Increase C-Storage and Rubber Imports: After cultivating and producing natural rubber from domestically grown dandelions, this project will test extraction protocols to improve production. Natural rubber and resins can be used in footwear, apparel, tires, and more.
Member team: Kultevat (MO), FutureFuel Chemical Company (AR)
Upscaling and Downscaling Purification for a Novel Bioplastic Process: This project will use a patented microbe to turn waste materials such as carbon dioxide, ethanol, and methane into a biodegradable plastic, and produce enough material to test for commercial use.
Member: Industrial Microbes (CA)
Education and Workforce Development Projects
2 projects | $2.0 million federal funds | $2.92 million non-federal cost share
Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Defense
Completing the Bioindustrial Pipeline: A Multidisciplinary Workforce Development Institute for Biological and Bioprocess Engineering for the Appalachian Highlands: Through the development of a set of bioprocess engineering, bioindustrial automation, and synthetic biology curriculum modules, traditional and non-traditional high school and college students will be equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the bioindustrial manufacturing industry.
Member team: East Tennessee State University, Niswonger Foundation (TN)
Utah Bioindustrial Manufacturing: An Ecosystem to Grow for the Future: This project will use stackable credentials and early outreach activities to increase access to bioindustrial manufacturing careers and continued education to build a sustainable talent pipeline.
Member team: Utah STEM Foundation, Talent Ready Utah, Checkerspot, Technology Holding, Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College (UT)