noteProject Overview
Since carbon recycling that leverages biomanufacturing technology can be expected to greatly improve productivity in the future due to the application of cutting-edge bio technologies such as genome editing and genome construction, it is a viable option for helping realize a carbon neutral society.
Biomanufacturing refers to activities for producing chemicals used in bioplastics, functional materials, fuels, and foods (such as protein and livestock feed) using CO2 recovered from biomass resources and the atmosphere as a raw material. In the industrial sector in Japan, biomanufacturing-related industries such as chemicals, textiles, and food/beverages discharge 89.017 million tons of CO2 per year, and biomanufacturing technologies can be expected to help reduce CO2 emissions.
Through promoting joint development efforts between microorganism modification platform businesses, who play a central role in biomanufacturing, and businesses in a variety of fields such as innovative materials and fuels, this project aims to nurture and strengthen manufacturers and other businesses that will drive large-scale fermentation and biomanufacturing production. Moreover, by leveraging the technologies of platform businesses related to the highly efficient development of microorganisms, the inherent capacity of microorganisms to fixate CO2 will be fully maximized with a view to resolving technical issues and promoting carbon recycling through biomanufacturing that uses CO2 as a raw material. In addition, by constructing a value chain ranging from the supply of CO2 raw materials to the manufacturing of products, and by promoting upscaled commercial production and more sophisticated manufacturing technologies, the project aims to realize both the social application of new biomanufacturing products made from CO2 raw materials and the structural transformation of the industrial sector through carbon recycling.
Project Features
R&D item 1
Sophistication of microorganisms and modification of platform technologies for accelerating the development of useful microorganisms
Through supporting the development of microorganism modification platform technologies integrating bio base technologies, digital technologies such as IT and AI, and automation technologies such as robotics, the project aims to speed up the design, build, test, learn (DBTL) cycle with a view to expanding the range of useful microorganisms capable of efficiently absorbing and fixating CO2 used for producing materials, and reducing the time and costs incurred in the modification process.
R&D item 2
Development and enhancement of microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
Through promoting joint development between microorganism modification platform businesses, who play a central role in biomanufacturing, and businesses in a variety of fields such as innovative materials and fuels, microorganism variants will be developed whose metabolic pathways for producing materials have been optimized for enhanced productivity.
R&D item 3
Development and demonstration of technologies using microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
For the production of materials that use CO2 as a raw material, a new method for culturing microorganism variants using carbon raw materials and reducing power will be developed. Moreover, to realize commercial applications for the produced materials, processing technologies and quality assessment methods will be developed with final products in mind. Furthermore, when demonstrating the production of such materials, lifecycle assessment (LCA) methods and methods for standardizing quantitative assessments of fixated CO2 will also be developed.
Project Summary
Budget
Up to 176.7 billion yen
CO2 Reduction Effect (World)
- In 2040
- Approximately 1.35 billion tons/year
- In 2050
- Approximately 4.21 billion tons/year
Economic Effect (World)
- In 2040
- Approximately 65.4 trillion yen/year
- In 2050
- Approximately 199.4 trillion yen/year
Research and Development Targets
- By 2030, develop technologies for reducing time required to complete DBTL cycle.
- In addition, develop technologies to reduce the number of cycles and their cost, and develop technologies for shortening the period for microorganism development to roughly one-tenth its present level.
- By 2030, develop commercial strains of microorganisms capable of realizing levels of material production and CO2 fixation approximately 5 times higher than those realized by common natural strains and enable commercial levels of production for such materials.
- Alternatively, develop commercial strains of microorganisms that can use different raw or target materials while maintaining production capabilities through the use of genetic engineering on microorganisms that already exhibit high levels of capability for material production and CO2 fixation.
- By 2030, develop technology for producing microorganisms that reduce the cost of manufacturing materials using CO2 as a raw material to a cost level no higher than 1.2 times that of alternative candidate products (as of 2030).
Assumptions regarding estimates of CO2 reduction effect
- Estimates of CO2 reductions are calculated on the assumption that products leveraging project outcomes in areas within easy reach of biomanufacturing technology that utilizes CO2 as a raw material will account for 20% in 2040, and 50% in 2050, of markets for raw materials and textiles (e.g., chemical and animal textiles), fuels, foods, and animal feed. Please see the R&D and Social Implementation Plan referenced below for information related to estimated consumption and production quantities for each market, the CO2 reduction factors due to process conversion, and calculation formulas.
Assumptions regarding estimates of economic effect
- Economic impacts have been calculated using the same product substitution rate as that used for calculating the impact of CO2 reductions, and on the basis of the following product unit prices per sector.
Formula: Economic impact = estimated consumption per sector x product substitution rate x product unit price
Project Implementing Entities
[Research and Development 1]
Sophistication of microorganisms modification platform technologies for accelerating the development of useful microorganisms
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Establishing a new technology platform for the utilization of CO2-fixing microorganisms |
|
[Research and Development 3]
Development and demonstration of technologies using microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Development and demonstration of technologies using microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material |
|
[Research and Development 2]
Development and enhancement of microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
[Research and Development 3]
Development and demonstration of technologies using microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Commercial production of value-added chemicals from bioconversion of CO2 |
|
| Development of innovative biomanufacturing technologies using CO2 and H2 as feedstocks for hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria |
|
[Research and Development 1]
Sophistication of microorganisms modification platform technologies for accelerating the development of useful microorganisms
[Research and Development 2]
Development and enhancement of microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
[Research and Development 3]
Development and demonstration of technologies using microorganisms that can produce materials using CO2 as raw material
| Theme | Entity |
|---|---|
| Development of direct polymer synthesis technology by microorganisms from CO2 |
|
| Establishment of a Japan originated global industry based on direct use of CO2 through photosynthesis |
|