Bioeconomy, bio- and advanced manufacturing research and innovation

McKelvey will leverage our strengths in synthetic biology, bioengineering, carbon management, advanced materials, and AI research to build a world-class thrust in biomanufacturing and the bioeconomy. We will invest in faculty hires and research infrastructure to advance major federal and industrial priorities and translate technologies that impact the future bioeconomy and its workforce. Our existing strengths in CO₂ utilization, synthetic biology and bio-renewable materials, and biotechnology for waste treatment and resource recovery will allow us to synergize with Here and Next initiatives in environmental research and climate solutions, medical research, and digital transformation. The initiative will empower cross-discipline collaborations across the campus to achieve broad impact and technology translation.

Our Commitments

We will:

• Support a steady growth of faculty in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing.
• Connect advanced materials research with St. Louis region advanced manufacturing initiatives.
• Build research infrastructure that focuses on the challenges of scaling biomanufacturing, in connection to CO2 utilization and bio-renewable materials manufacturing, to advance the development of commercially viable and transformative technologies.
• Coordinate the efforts of centers such as the existing Synthetic Biology Manufacturing of Advanced Materials Research Center and the soon-to-be-launched Center for Carbon Management to develop specific technologies relevant to bioeconomy.

Why:

• Biomanufacturing to advance the bioeconomy and as a solution for decarbonization is a national priority that requires cross-discipline collaboration and is a target of significant federal funding.
• There is existing strength in the research cluster in synthetic biology at WashU, and there is great potential
  for bringing biopharmaceutical and biotechnology research to the St. Louis region.