Biofuels enzyme research receives new SBIR grant

US-based biofuels development company Infinite Enzymes (IE) has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SIBR) Phase Two grant.

The $450,000 (€356,450) grant is IE’s second investment via SIBR and will be used to further IE’s enzyme development technology. IE develops natural enzymes that can be used to convert plant byproducts into biofuels and other uses.

‘Our enzymes are at least half the cost of the currently available source of enzymes,’ says IE CEO and professor of Agriculture at Arkansas State University Elizabeth Hood.

IE currently has five employees, is based at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute and expects to bring its enzyme-based products to the reagent market by January 2013.