Techno-Economic and Life-Cycle Assessment

Identify bottlenecks in bioprocessing for improved economic feasibility and environmental impact, and prioritize R&D 

The Agile BioFoundry's techno-economic and life-cycle assessment approach. Step 1: Conceptual process is formulated or refined based on current research and expected chemical transformations. Step 2: Individual unit operations are modeled using experimental data. Process model outputs are used to size and cost equipment. Step 3a: Capital and operating costs are input into an economic model to identify the major cost drivers. Step 3b: Material and energy flows are fed into a life cycle model to identify the major sustainability drivers. Step 4: Results and new understanding are fed back into step 1 and the process iterates.
The Agile BioFoundry’s techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment approach.

Techno-economic analysis (TEA)

Techno-economic analysis is a powerful tool for assessing the economic impact of research and development on an integrated process. Techno-economic analysis can be used to understand critical factors in equipment design and operation, scale-up, and integration within a biorefinery, as well as to quantify the economics of any bioproduction pathway. 

We use techno-economic analysis to conduct multi-variable cost scans over key parameters, such as titer/rate/yield metrics tied to aerobic conversion processes. These efforts highlight important cost drivers and trends associated with metabolic pathways and products of interest.

Learn more about techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment in this video by ABF researchers.

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) 

We use the GREET® (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy used in Technologies) model to help collaborators understand the environmental impact of a fuel or bioproduct from a supply chain perspective — from feedstock production to the final product.

LCA modeling can help recognize the environmental benefits of producing bio-derived chemicals and fuels, and identify the primary drivers and technical barriers along the supply chain.

A comparison of the minimum selling prices of adipic acid (AA) and muconic acid (MA) from previous publications and those determined in a 2024 Agile BioFoundry study.

We engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 for the co-utilization of glucose and xylose to produce muconic acid, a bio-based chemical that can be converted to direct replacement chemicals or performance-advantaged bioproducts.

Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment predicted that adipic acid derived from catalytic hydrogenation of muconic acid can achieve a selling price as low as $2.60 per kg, approaching cost parity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil-derived adipic acid.

These results showcase the importance of TEA and LCA tools in aiding experimental teams to plan the directions of future research to further improve the economic and environmental impacts of bio-based molecules. Learn more about this work.

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