Federal Grant Award Summary

Arizona State University received a $650,000 project grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), effective March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2029. The award supports the development of integrated bioprocesses for producing acrylate chemicals—key building block compounds used in polymers, coatings, and adhesives—from waste agricultural biomass rather than petroleum-based feedstocks. The project will advance bio-based manufacturing by engineering biocatalysts to convert biomass-derived lactic and malic acids into acrylic, maleic, and fumaric acid esters, followed by catalytic dehydration using novel bifunctional catalysts to achieve high product yields and selectivity.

The deliverables include engineered biocatalysts optimized for efficient feedstock conversion and fermentation performance, as well as downstream recovery and purification methods for producing commercially viable acrylate esters. By utilizing agricultural waste as fermentation feedstock and integrating fermentation with chemocatalytic processes, the project addresses both economic viability and sustainability objectives central to AFRI's mission to stimulate the bioeconomy and improve agricultural productivity. Research will be performed at Arizona State University's Scottsdale, Arizona location under the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration.