The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $7,859,990.00 definitive contract to the San Diego State University Research Foundation, a non-profit organization, for the "Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource" (EMBER) program. This program aims to develop novel, bio-based technologies to enable new biomining methods for the separation, purification, and conversion of rare earth elements (REEs) from domestic sources like mine waste or electronics recycling. The contract does not have a set-aside designation.
The prime contractor, San Diego State University Research Foundation, is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and minority-owned non-profit that manages a diverse portfolio of federal awards across scientific and technical disciplines. The Foundation will collaborate with Palo Alto Research Center LLC, a subsidiary of Xerox, as a major subcontractor to deliver key tasks related to process flow diagramming, pilot-scale bioreactor design, and techno-economic analysis. DARPA is funding this effort to address challenges with the domestic supply of REEs critical to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Generated 10/29/24, 9:01 AM