2151599
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
SBIR Phase I: Enzymes for Accelerated Plastic Recycling - The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable a more efficient, profitable, and sustainable plastic recycling process.
In the United States, less than 10% of plastics are currently recycled, and the remainder are incinerated (15%) or placed in landfills (75%). Emissions from global plastics production and incineration could reach 56 billion tons of carbon between now and 2050, accounting for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The economics of conventional plastic recycling are poor because the high temperatures used in recycling cause quality degradation that greatly reduces the economic value. This project develops a low-temperature system for high quality, high-value plastic products in closed-loop recycling.
The proposed project will apply synthetic biology and related biotechnologies to identify, engineer, and optimize new enzymes and enzyme cocktails to break down polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics. These enzymes will enable closed-loop plastic recycling in an economically viable, low temperature, low CO2 emission process.
The first objective is to sample plastic contaminated environments for naturally occurring enzymes that have evolved to depolymerize PE and PET synthetic polymers. Candidate PE and PET enzymes will be engineered to accelerate their ability to efficiently target and cut complex PE and PET polymers under scalable process conditions.
Millions of enzyme variants will be constructed, tested, and analyzed using synthetic biology, high-throughput screening, and machine learning technologies. A primary goal of this effort is to demonstrate a 10-fold increase in PE and PET depolymerization rates compared to naturally occurring plastic degradation proteins.
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.
In the United States, less than 10% of plastics are currently recycled, and the remainder are incinerated (15%) or placed in landfills (75%). Emissions from global plastics production and incineration could reach 56 billion tons of carbon between now and 2050, accounting for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The economics of conventional plastic recycling are poor because the high temperatures used in recycling cause quality degradation that greatly reduces the economic value. This project develops a low-temperature system for high quality, high-value plastic products in closed-loop recycling.
The proposed project will apply synthetic biology and related biotechnologies to identify, engineer, and optimize new enzymes and enzyme cocktails to break down polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics. These enzymes will enable closed-loop plastic recycling in an economically viable, low temperature, low CO2 emission process.
The first objective is to sample plastic contaminated environments for naturally occurring enzymes that have evolved to depolymerize PE and PET synthetic polymers. Candidate PE and PET enzymes will be engineered to accelerate their ability to efficiently target and cut complex PE and PET polymers under scalable process conditions.
Millions of enzyme variants will be constructed, tested, and analyzed using synthetic biology, high-throughput screening, and machine learning technologies. A primary goal of this effort is to demonstrate a 10-fold increase in PE and PET depolymerization rates compared to naturally occurring plastic degradation proteins.
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.
Awardee
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Place of Performance
Portland,
Oregon
97212-5324
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
None
Birch Biosciences was awarded
Project Grant 2151599
worth $255,840
from Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships in April 2022 with work to be completed primarily in Portland Oregon United States.
The grant
has a duration of 1 year and
was awarded through assistance program 47.041 Engineering.
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase I
Title
SBIR Phase I:Enzymes for Accelerated Plastic Recycling
Abstract
The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable a more efficient, profitable, and sustainable plastic recycling process. In the United States less than 10% of plastics are currently recycled, and the remainder are incinerated (15%) or placed in landfills (75%). Emissions from global plastics production and incineration could reach 56 billion tons of carbon between now and 2050, accounting for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The economics of conventional plastic recycling are poor, because the high temperatures used in recycling cause quality degradation that greatly reduces the economic value.This project develops a low-temperature system for high quality, high-value plastic products in closed-loop recycling.The proposed project will apply synthetic biology and related biotechnologies to identify, engineer, and optimize new enzymes and enzyme cocktails to break down polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics.These enzymes will enable closed-loop plastic recycling in an economically viable, low temperature, low CO2 emission process.The first objective is to sample plastic contaminated environments for naturally occurring enzymes that have evolved to depolymerize PE and PET synthetic polymers.Candidate PE and PET enzymes will be engineered to accelerate their ability to efficiently target and cut complex PE and PET polymers under scalable process conditions.Millions of enzyme variants will be constructed, tested, and analyzed using synthetic biology, high-throughput screening, and machine learning technologies.A primary goal of this effort is to demonstrate a 10-fold increase in PE and PET depolymerization rates compared to naturally occurring plastic degradation proteins.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.
Topic Code
BT
Solicitation Number
NSF 21-562
Status
(Complete)
Last Modified 4/21/22
Period of Performance
4/1/22
Start Date
3/31/23
End Date
Funding Split
$255.8K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$255.8K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2151599
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
490707 DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION
Awardee UEI
C9FGGXFZTLE1
Awardee CAGE
93NF2
Performance District
03
Senators
Jeff Merkley
Ron Wyden
Ron Wyden
Representative
Earl Blumenauer
Budget Funding
| Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research and Related Activities, National Science Foundation (049-0100) | General science and basic research | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $255,840 | 100% |
Modified: 4/21/22