Cooperative Agreement DESC0018751

Exopolymer, Inc. received a $648,366 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Project Grant from the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop new fermentation-derived biopolymer ingredients. Under this two-year award running from September 2021 to August 2023, Exopolymer will finalize the commercial development of one or more biopolymer products that outperform hyaluronic acid in moisture binding and skin penetration performance. Work will include...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) Project Grant award of $305,000 to Gelastomerics LLC is focused on developing a new hydrogel elastomer technology to address the need for intrinsically lubricious elastomer materials in the medical device market. The key products or services to be delivered under this Phase I SBIR project include: Validating that the new hydrogel elastomer technology can meet the technical performance requirements for...

This federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.212 - Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program) provides $181,500 to Sustainable Chemicals LLC to develop a family of renewable and biodegradable bioplastics that can replace large-volume petrochemical plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. The bioplastics are designed to have a 75% lower carbon...

Southeastern Biochemicals, Inc. was awarded a $250,000 Project Grant from the Department of Energy Office of Science on February 21, 2023 to develop yeast strains for the production of oleochemicals. The grant is part of the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049), which aims to deliver scientific discoveries and tools to transform understanding of nature and advance U.S. energy and economic security. Under the award, Southeastern Biochemicals will develop new yeast...

Soylei Innovations, LLC (SLI) received a $4,606,850 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Bioproduct Pilot Program (CFDA 10.236) to advance the development and scaling of three bioproducts for use in asphalt construction derived from poly(acrylated epoxidized high oleic soybean oil) (PAEHOSO). SLI will scale production of the PAEHOSO-based chain transfer agent, surfactant, and polymer compounding required to produce the...

This $155,884 project grant awarded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) aims to develop new eco-friendly packaging materials using renewable waxes and blends. The research team at Western Michigan University intends to create coated paper products that can provide necessary packaging functionality without relying on harmful plastics or chemicals. The project seeks to produce packaging that is easy to recycle and capable of biodegrading into harmless...

This USDA NIFA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase II grant of $649,991 awarded to Sustainable Chemicals LLC aims to develop a higher performance bioplastic material for use in rigid applications such as cosmetic containers, detergent bottles, and soda bottle lids. The funding supports the company's efforts to create innovative, fully compostable, and renewable bioplastics that can serve as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional petrochemical-based plastics. Sustainable...

This $175,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program supports the development of Retrn Bioworks Inc.'s sustainable, biodegradable barrier coatings for fiber-based food packaging. The funding will enable Retrn Bio to genetically engineer its biological production platform to better utilize waste forest product residues, formulate various bioplastic compositions, and...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Cooperative Agreement award under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program provides $1,000,000 in funding to Biomimics, LLC to develop and scale up next-generation polymeric surfactants that are biobased, biodegradable, and have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional surfactants used in personal care products and other applications. The research objectives are to: 1) demonstrate the scalability of the...

This $450,000 National Science Foundation Project Grant supports research at Michigan State University to develop high-barrier biodegradable paper as alternatives to plastics and PFAS-coated materials. The two-year award under the Engineering (47.041) program will fund investigation of solvent-free biodegradable polyester latex coating methods and their impact on creating high-barrier biodegradable paper through a dual-layer approach. Researchers will evaluate end-of-life scenarios,...