ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, September 17, 2018— Ecovia Renewables Inc., a Michigan-based biotechnology company focused on the research and development of high-performing biobased materials and ingredients, was awarded a Phase IIB SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop biobased superabsorbents for agricultural and horticultural applications. Under this grant, Ecovia Renewables will utilize its proprietary microbial fermentation platform to efficiently produce a new generation of non-toxic, naturally-derived superabsorbent biopolymers.
Ecovia Renewables, Inc. Awarded $750k NSF Grant to Develop Superabsorbent Biopolymers for Hygiene Products
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ecovia Renewables, Inc. announced today that the company was awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Under the award, Ecovia Renewables, Inc. will receive approximately $750,000 over two years to develop a suite of BioGel™ biopolymer materials for hygiene applications, particularly for use in the absorbent cores of infant diapers. The proposal, entitled "SBIR Phase II: Efficient Production of a High Performance and Eco-Friendly Superabsorbent Microbial Biopolymer for Hygiene Applications,” explores a novel microbial co-culture fermentation route for cost-effective production of biodegradable and non-toxic superabsorbent materials from renewable biomass resources.
Ecovia Renewables, Inc. Awarded Phase I STTR Grant from the US Department of Energy
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ecovia Renewables Inc., a renewable chemicals company developing high-performing biobased materials, received a DOE STTR Phase I grant of $224,535 for their proposal “Microbial co-cultures for production of methyl ketones from lignocellulose.” Under the grant, Ecovia Renewables will investigate the production of medium chain length (C11 to C15) methyl ketones via singe-step fermentation of renewable biomass with mixed microbial cultures. The work will be done in collaboration with Dr. Harry Beller’s research group at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory of Berkeley, California.
Ecovia Renewables LLC receives a USDA SBIR Phase I grant for efficient production of high value polymers
Ecovia Renewables LLC, a renewable chemicals company developing high performance bio-based materials, received a USDA SBIR Phase I grant of $100,000 for their proposal “Engineering microbial co-cultures for efficient production of a high-value biopolymer from bioprocessing by-products of industrial crops.