BRIGHT and LanzaTech launched a Denmark-based C1 biofoundry to accelerate carbon-to-value biotechnology and industrial emission conversion innovation.
BRIGHT, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has forged a multi-year partnership with LanzaTech, a leading gas fermentation company, to establish a cutting-edge C1 biofoundry in Denmark. Announced on May 5, 2026, and slated to run until April 2028, this collaboration aims to significantly accelerate carbon-to-value biotechnology development across Europe.
The core objective of this advanced biofoundry is to leverage gas fermentation technologies to transform industrial carbon emissions, specifically C1 gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane, into valuable products such as fuels, chemicals, and materials. This initiative represents a crucial step towards reducing industrial emissions and fostering circular, climate-positive solutions by converting waste carbon streams into usable resources.
Under the terms of the agreement, LanzaTech will contribute its extensive synthetic biology expertise, provide customized workflows, and grant non-exclusive intellectual property licenses related to its biofoundry systems. A dedicated LanzaTech team will also be responsible for designing and installing the specialized C1 facility at DTU. In return, BRIGHT and DTU will offer essential infrastructure, research capabilities, and facilitate regional collaboration opportunities, strengthening Denmark's and Europe's standing in carbon-to-value biotechnology.
The new biofoundry will integrate advanced automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, specialized gas-handling systems, and high-throughput strain-development tools. This sophisticated technological framework is designed to overcome the technical challenges associated with efficiently engineering anaerobic microorganisms for gas utilization, thereby accelerating the discovery and development of new production strains.
The partnership carries significant economic and industry-specific implications. It marks a substantial investment in European industrial biotechnology infrastructure, poised to enhance the region's innovation capacity in the circular bioeconomy. For LanzaTech, CEO Jennifer Holmgren highlighted the agreement as a "significant milestone" in the company's strategic transformation, enabling it to better focus on delivering commercial sustainable aviation fuel and biorefining projects. This strategic move comes after a challenging year for LanzaTech, which saw its stock decline and revenue decrease, underscoring the importance of such collaborations for its future growth and stability. Ultimately, the biofoundry will serve as a shared research and development platform, fostering innovation and collaboration among researchers and partners throughout Europe in the critical field of carbon-to-value biotechnology.
