Grantee Research Project Results
Low-Cost Biological Solution for Reducing Carbon Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing
EPA Contract Number: EPD17020Title: Low-Cost Biological Solution for Reducing Carbon Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing
Investigators: Greenfield, Derek
Small Business: Industrial Microbes, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: March 1, 2017 through February 28, 2019 (Extended to October 31, 2020)
Project Amount: $300,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (2016) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Air and Climate
Description:
Industrial Microbes is developing a green fermentation platform to replace carbon-emitting petrochemical production with newer methods that build chemicals out of methane and carbon dioxide.Chemical production is a major source of carbon pollution, responsible for 18% of direct industrialemissions. Our innovation is an engineered microbe that can consume carbon dioxide and methane and produce a chemical used to make synthetic fibers and biodegradable plastics. We performed a well-to-gate life cycle analysis which shows our process reduces carbon dioxide emissions 6-fold compared to the current process. We are able to significantly reduce carbon pollution because our process includes direct carbon dioxide fixation and more efficient unit operations. The chemical conversion occurs inside living cells by engineered enzyme pathways, in a process similar to brewing beer. The market is $6B annually, with customers including chemical companies and material manufacturers. We have received enthusiastic interest from a number of these customers because our technology is both cheaper and greener than the current method. The successful results of our Phase I research, combined with other breakthroughs in our lab, have significantly de-risked commercialization. The result of our Phase II work will be a process ready to test at pilot scale.
Supplemental Keywords:
fermentation, petrochemicals, carbon dioxide, methane, chemical production, industrial emissions, microbes, green technology, yeast, fermentation, C4 chemical, air and climate, industrial process pollution reductionsProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase I:
Low-Cost Biological Solution for Reducing Carbon Pollution in Chemical Manufacturing | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.