Novo Nordisk provides €100m for sustainable cell factories
The Foundation will grant €100m ($112m) to DTU Biosustain over a five-year period, with the organization using the funds to focus on sustainable chemicals, bio-based products and microbial foods.
DTU Biosustain is Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Center for Biosustainability, which houses an interdisciplinary research center to develop sustainable technology and approximately 300 staff members.
The organization utilizes genome-scale analysis and advanced robot technologies to generate large datasets to understand complex biological systems, the organization stated.
A particular focus of the recent investment will be the development of medicines that can be produced in a sustainable manner through working on the design of cell factories.
“Biotechnology will be a key element in the green transition, and thus, the center is a good example of how Denmark can make a significant contribution to the global effort to promote sustainable products and processes,” says Lars Sørensen, chairman of The Novo Nordisk Foundation.
He added that the hope for the center is that it will aid making Denmark a leader in green bioproduction, improving export ventures and potentially increasing the number of workplaces in the country.
The organization plans to create a ‘biofoundry’ to take the data gathered and utilize it in the design of next-generation cell factories able to produce more sustainable products.
DTU Biosustain was established in 2011 and the new funding period will see it run until the end of 2025. So far, the research center has spawned 27 spinout companies.
