Foundation For Applied Molecular Evolution, Inc.

Foundation For Applied Molecular Evolution, Inc., doing business as Foundation For Applied Molc EV, is a non-profit research organization specializing in molecular biology, chemistry, and origin of life studies. Registered to receive federal awards since 2001, the foundation provides cutting-edge research services and scientific expertise to various federal agencies through contracts and grants. Their work focuses on expanding genetic information systems, developing novel DNA and RNA technologies, and advancing the understanding of prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life. The foundation's expertise spans synthetic biology, prebiotic chemistry, and the development of artificially expanded genetic information systems (AEGIS), which have applications in biotechnology, medicine, and space exploration.

The foundation has received federal contract awards, though specific details about the goods and services provided through these contracts are limited in the given information. The most recent contract award was from NASA's Shared Services Center in April 2024 for $174,949. This contract supports an add-on to large-scale water mining operations on Mars to screen for introduced and alien life. This project leverages the foundation's expertise in fields such as chemistry, molecular biology, synthetic biology, and origin of life research to further NASA's astrobiology program goals. The contract was not associated with any set-aside designation, indicating that it was awarded through full and open competition.

Foundation For Applied Molecular Evolution, Inc. has received numerous federal grant awards from agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NASA. These grants support a wide range of research projects, including the development of expanded genetic alphabets, synthetic biology approaches to semi-synthetic cells, prebiotic chemistry processes relevant to the origin of life, and the creation of high-quality proteins with multiple post-translational modifications. Notable projects include a $1.2 million NSF grant for collaborative research on synthetic and systems biology approaches to semi-synthetic cells with expanded DNA alphabets, a $426,000 NSF grant to explore the diverse evolutionary power of nucleic acid libraries, and multiple NIH grants focused on developing novel DNA and RNA technologies for medical and diagnostic applications. The foundation also collaborates with other research institutions, such as Thomas Jefferson University, Jackson Laboratory, and the University of Washington, on various subgrant projects related to DNA synthesis, sequencing, and analysis of artificial genetic systems. These collaborative efforts aim to advance the field of synthetic biology and expand the capabilities of genetic information systems for applications in medicine, biotechnology, and space exploration.