US-headquartered biotechnology company LanzaTech has entered a multi-year agreement with energy transition research group BRIGHT to develop a biofoundry at the Technical University of Denmark.
The facility aims to accelerate development of technologies that convert carbon emissions and methane into valuable products like sustainable aviation fuels, chemicals and materials.
The process uses gas fermentation where microbes ‘eat’ one-carbon (C1) molecules like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, allowing the waste to be transformed.
These microbes are difficult to engineer, however, and require advanced automation, AI, robotics, gas-handling and high-through strain-development tools.
The C1 biofoundry could address these challenges by enabling faster strain development cycles through automation, which allows thousands of microbial designs to be generated and tested at once.
According to the partners, it will also reduce innovation risk and enable the integration of AI-driven design tools.
“This partnership brings unique capabilities to Denmark and accelerates our ambition to turn carbon emissions into valuable products,” said Luuk van der Wielen, Director of BRIGHT.
“Working with LanzaTech strengthens our ability to drive sustainable innovation with real impact.”
In addition to designing and installing the biofoundry, LanzaTech will develop tailored methods and workflows for BRIGHT’s research missions and provide a non-exclusive license to relevant IP for tools and biofoundry workflows.
LanzaTech’s carbon conversion process ©LanzaTech
“By creating a dedicated team that consolidates our biotechnology know-how, we can focus the broader team on our commitment to delivering commercial sustainable aviation fuel and biorefining projects,” said Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech.
LanzaTech began operations at its Freedom Pines Fuels facility in the US last year, marking the world’s first production at a commercial scale of jet fuel using ethanol as a feedstock.
Earlier this week, the company selected North Sea Port in Ghent, Belgium, as the site for Europe’s first commercial alcohol-to-jet SAF facility.
“The site’s mature and diverse industrial ecosystem not only reduces development risk but also provides a strong foundation of partnership opportunities to complement and support the project, including proximity to the ArcelorMittal Steelanol ethanol plant,” said Holmgren.
Europe’s push for SAF is supported by the ReFuelEU AViation regulation, which mandates a minimum share of SAF at EU airports, starting at 2% in 2025 and increasing to 70% by 2050.
