SBIR Phase II: Enzyme Stabilization via Immobilization for Advanced Chemical Manufacturing

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project enables a lower cost and scalable solution for biomanufacturing using long-lasting and higher performing enzymes. This is done through a proprietary polymerization technique to create polymer brushes that stabilize enzymes as they are used to catalyze chemical processes. The chemicals industry relies heavily on inefficient processes often leading to offshoring of critical manufacturing. In contrast, biomanufacturing, which leverages nature’s machinery, efficiently produces a wide range of critical chemicals through the use of microbes or enzymes. While enzymes are used today, they are typically too short-lived and expensive. The proposed enzyme immobilization technology makes any enzyme stable and long lasting for industrial applications. This project will address challenges with increasing the batch size to 100kg and enable further interactions with customer enzyme processes. This work will also reduce the unit cost through process intensification and state-of-the-art process monitoring. Ultimately, this will increase the adoption of enzymes in multiple chemical processes, including pharmaceuticals and flavors and fragrances, and allow enzymes to gain more share of the $40 billion catalyst space. The innovation will contribute to the United States by on-shoring chemical production that left the U.S. due to high environmental costs, while strengthening supply chain resilience through domestic production of critical chemicals.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will demonstrate the manufacturability of a heterogeneous polymer brush decorated surfaces that capture and stabilize enzymes through engineered polymer-enzyme interactions. The proposed Phase II efforts built upon the Phase I work, which moved the manufacturing from a flask to a reactor and established quality control, by addressing product variability and validating quality improvements with advanced process monitoring and analytical quality control techniques. This manufacturing involves state-of-the-art controlled radical polymerization processes that have yet to be commercialized. A systematic and iterative process intensification campaign will increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process and reduce the costs of this polymer science innovation. This will culminate in scale-up to 100 kg per run with thorough quality control enabling a commercially-relevant scale for initial target customers. The team will focus initially on the immobilization, product validation, and quality control for a unique biocatalyst offering, a higher performing and lower cost 1,3-regioselective lipase with applications in food, flavors and fragrances, and personal care products.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Award Number: 2507312
Principal Investigator: James Weltz
Funds Obligated: $1,250,000
State: CO