Biosphere lands $21M DOD contract for bioreactor prototypes

In California, Biosphere announced a $21 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to advance a new class of industrial biomanufacturing systems capable of producing critical materials domestically, at scale, and at dramatically lower cost.

The award, made through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium, funds Biosphere to prototype, commission and operate next-generation 20,000-liter industrial bioreactors, demonstrate integrated manufacturing processes, and complete the engineering and economic analyses needed to support larger deployments.

The award follows Biosphere’s $9 million U.S. Army contract earlier this year to develop an on-demand nutrition production system for warfighters, further expanding the company’s role in advancing biomanufacturing capabilities for national defense.

The investment comes amid growing concern about the resilience of the U.S. industrial base and the nation’s dependence on foreign supply chains for strategically important chemicals and materials. As competition with China intensifies, the ability to rapidly establish and expand domestic manufacturing capacity is becoming increasingly important to both national security and American economic competitiveness.

Tags: bioreactor prototypes, Biosphere, California

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