Schmidt Sciences has announced an investment of $47.3 million over five years in support of five research teams through the Virtual Institute on Feedstocks of the Future (VIFF), its partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR).

The funding will support researchers as they develop the science to transform natural materials into energy, animal feed, and other essential products. To that end, VIFF will enhance collaborations across scientific and technological disciplines with the goal of transforming biomass into key products in a circular, fossil-fuel-free economy.

For example, byproducts from industry, agriculture, forestry, and cities are abundant and can be leveraged as starting materials for products in a more sustainable, circular bioeconomy. Moreover, replacing petroleum-based feedstocks has the potential to increase the environmental sustainability of manufacturing; local sourcing; provide new revenue for farmers, ranchers, and municipalities; and support supply-chain resilience. 

“Carbon is all around us, whether it’s the byproduct of an orchard harvest or solid waste from cities, but right now, it’s too expensive to extract and use,” said Schmidt Sciences program scientist Genevieve Croft, who is directing VIFF. “Turning the carbon we have into the carbon we want is a critical challenge. VIFF aims to accelerate the timeline of the science needed through interdisciplinary research collaboration.”

For a complete list and description of the projects, see the Schmidt Futures website.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Leila Melhado)