We are the partner for the front-end planning (FEP) of a 15,000-square-foot multiuser bioindustrial facility that is the third in BioMADE’s Pilot Plant Network (PPN) initiative to accelerate biotechnology commercialization across the U.S. The facility will include industrial fermenters scaled up to 10,000 liters, dry and wet lab space, and downstream processing capabilities to support development of agricultural bioproducts, chemicals, food ingredients and more.
The facility was made possible by a collaboration of BioMADE, Iowa State University, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority. It complements existing Iowa-based capabilities, including Iowa State’s Center for Crops Utilization Research. It supports faster progress for companies moving from benchtop experiments to larger piloting equipment as they scale-up the production of their products. The facility is expected to open in early 2028.
It is part of a national initiative to address a gap in critical scale-up of bioindustrial manufacturing. The selection of the Iowa site leverages the state’s agricultural experience and availability of domestically grown corn as a feedstock for bio-based products with commercial applications.