Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing Decarbonization Project Launches in US to Foster Sustainable Manufacturing

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... National Science Foundation has funded the Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing Decarbonization, or CURB, Engineering Research Center, or ERC, a multi-institutional engineering research center that aims to develop transformative technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster sustainable manufacturing practices. The $26 million project is led by Washington University in St. Louis. The project includes seven universities, and 21 industry partners, including Nestlé Purina, Brewer Science and Southwest Airlines.

With the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and moving the manufacturing industry closer to zero or negative emissions, CURB ERC will employ a hybrid electro-bio CO2 utilization, which uses electrocatalysis — a process that uses a catalyst to facilitate an electrochemical reaction — to convert carbon dioxide into liquid chemical compounds like ethanol, acetate and propionate.

Using biomanufacturing systems, these compounds, also called intermediates, can then be processed to produce environmentally responsible products like biofertilizers, biochemicals and biomaterials. Researchers will then take the new products and test them for market viability, including supply chain design, life cycle emissions and environmental justice impact; they will also identify potential barriers to commercialization. READ MORE

Excerpt from U.S. National Science Museum: The Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing-Empowered Decarbonization (CURB) Engineering Research Center will transform U.S. manufacturing by curbing CO2 emissions and decreasing the human ecological footprint. Global industrial and energy emissions topped 36.8 billion tons in 2022, potentially causing $6.8 trillion in social costs. CURB will advance, deploy, and scale innovative hybrid electro-biomanufacturing engineered systems to empower a new circular carbon economy wherein CO2 will serve as valuable feedstock for manufacturing a broad range of products much more efficiently than current state-of-the-art and natural systems. CURB will create cost-effective and emissions-free biomanufacturing technologies, facilitating the next-generation bioeconomy and empowering industrial decarbonization. The emerging decarbonization and bioeconomy industries have grown rapidly to $4.5 and $4 trillion respectively, representing unparalleled opportunities for U.S. economic growth and millions of job opportunities. CURB uniquely converges these two sectors to turn our most daunting sustainability challenges into powerful catalysts for economic growth. Ultimately, CURB will transform U.S. manufacturing to zero- and negative emissions, valorize waste CO2 from broad industries, mitigate climate change, reduce hazardous compounds in emissions, and produce plastics that are biodegradable rather than polluting. CURB will produce evidence-based practices for the inclusion of underrepresented groups and workforce pathways to success to empower rapid technology deployment and promote environmental justice. Through partners ranging from start-ups to major corporations, CURB?s technology commercialization will empower a billion-ton level carbon emission reduction and tens of billions of dollars in economic growth.

In order to achieve these impacts, CURB will demonstrate the conversion of CO2 at a much higher conversion rate than the state-of-the-art using Hybrid Electro-Bio CO2 Utilization Systems (HEBCUS). The HEBCUS-engineered systems will use electrocatalysis to produce C2+ intermediates (e.g., ethanol, acetate, and propionate) that can enter primary metabolism with fewer steps that C1 intermediates and are compatible with many cell or cell-free biomanufacturing systems. The design will enable efficient conversion into a broad range of products at higher titer and productivity than platforms based on C1 intermediates. Soluble C2+ intermediates also substantially improve mass, energy, and electron transfers and overcome the gas-to-liquid transfer challenges of hydrogen and CO. CURB will focus on three interrelated research thrusts that converge scientific, economic, environmental, and social approaches with stakeholder needs for comprehensive system design and optimized societal impacts within three demonstration testbeds: CO2 conversion to (1) platform chemicals and polymer precursors, (2) environmentally responsible materials and biofertilizers, and (3) lipids and proteins. Convergent research will drive new transdisciplinary educational and training pathways for the decarbonization and biomanufacturing workforce of tomorrow, an estimated 10 million jobs. CURB will build a culture of inclusion embracing divergent perspectives, engaging underrepresented populations, and promoting convergence. CURB?s Innovation Ecosystem, with 18 committed industry partners, will transform industries and communities, mitigate climate change, advance environmental justice, empower CURB sustainability beyond NSF funding, create and fill jobs with a diverse and competent workforce, achieving multi-facet and tangible societal impacts.

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. READ MORE