Terragia Biofuel Inc.

Terragia Biofuel Inc. is a for-profit startup company based in Hanover, New Hampshire, specializing in advanced bioprocessing technologies for converting cellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals. The company focuses on developing innovative approaches to low-cost biofuel production, particularly through the use of engineered thermophilic bacteria and novel mechanical disruption techniques. Terragia's core technological focus centers on consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), which aims to create more efficient and cost-effective methods for transforming non-food biomass into sustainable fuel alternatives.

The company has secured multiple federal grants from agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), primarily through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs. Its recent grant awards have been concentrated on developing advanced multi-locus genome engineering techniques to enable low-cost conversion of lignocellulose to hydrocarbon fuels. Specific research projects include testing Continuous Evolution with Multiplex Natural Transformation (CE-MUNT) to engineer bacterial strains capable of efficiently converting biomass components, developing Spontaneous Particle Expansion Cotreatment (SPEC) to mechanically disrupt cellulosic biomass during fermentation, and exploring continuous cascade fermentation methods. The company collaborates with research institutions and industry partners like POET LLC to validate and potentially commercialize its bioprocessing technologies, with a particular emphasis on converting corn stover to ethanol and developing catalytic upgrading methods for biomass-derived ethanol.