Industry and university research teams focus on sustainable bioproduction

University of Delaware (UD) researchers and collaborators from other academic institutions and industry are working together to transform manufacturing to zero or negative emissions by converting carbon dioxide into environmentally friendly chemicals and products using microorganisms.

The Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing-Empowered Decarbonization (CURB) Engineering Research Center, led by Washington University in St. Louis, is funded by a five-year, $26 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The center will support projects that converge in research, education, commercialization, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion.

“CURB will create highly efficient chem-bio hybrid systems to convert renewable energy and carbon dioxide into chemicals, fuels, and materials,” said Joshua Yuan, PhD, director of CURB and chair of the department of energy, environmental, and chemical engineering at WashU. “This will decarbonize U.S. manufacturing and displace a significant amount of petrochemicals. CURB will drive a new, circular carbon economy to meet the needs of human society while reducing carbon emissions. That’s what this center is all about.”

At the University of Delaware’s School of Engineering, where the chemical engineering graduate program is currently ranked seventh in the nation, Dr. Wilfred Chen, Dr. E. Terry Papoutsakis, Dr. Kevin Solomon, Dr. Yushan Yan and their teams will help advance CURB’s research and workforce development goals. $4.3 million of the grant will go to UD.

“Our UD team has a proven track record of success in sustainability, and this new center will further expand our efforts to achieve a carbon-neutral economy,” said Chen, Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering and interim associate dean for research and entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering. “We will design new electrocatalysis and biological processes as part of the center’s broader goal of helping U.S. industry reduce emissions and reduce its ecological footprint by transitioning away from petroleum-based processes toward biomanufacturing.”

A Closer Look at CURB Research

Through hybrid electro-bio CO₂ Utilization System (HEBCUS), CURB will use electrocatalysis to convert waste carbon dioxide into intermediates such as ethanol, acetate and propionate. These intermediates will be compatible with biomanufacturing systems that can more efficiently convert them into a range of products, such as platform chemicals that serve as building blocks for the production of other chemicals and materials, biofertilizers containing live microbes that help promote plant health and growth, and other environmentally friendly materials, the researchers note.

The CURB team will design and optimize two types of HEBCUS: one that uses microbial cells to convert carbon dioxide and one that uses enzymes to speed up chemical reactions. These systems are expected to be 10 times more efficient than natural processes like photosynthesis and require fewer steps.

UD experts will contribute to the project on multiple fronts, from optimizing single-cell bacteria, which are known for their ability to convert a variety of substances into valuable chemicals, including biodegradable plastics, to integrating renewable energy sources into biomanufacturing and promoting educational and workforce development activities. The new technology developed by CURB is expected to generate new jobs and career paths, including through workforce upskilling.

UD is one of eight universities involved in the center, which also has more than 30 corporate, innovation and educational partners.

For more information GENE Sustainability articles: Sustainability: A key differentiator in the face of challenging biopharmaceutical dynamics, says Cytiva global study; Sustainability offers an opportunity for innovation; The beginnings of sustainability decisions; Industry consortium to develop a sustainability roadmap for biopharmaceuticals.