HudsonAlpha's BRIDGES Engine heads to funding competition finals
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The project is spearheaded at HudsonAlpha in Huntsville. Photo: Courtesy of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
A local research effort hoping to transform manufacturing with grass has advanced to the finals of a national competition for funding.
Why it matters: Huntsville-led research at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology could launch a new era of sustainable manufacturing for the region.
What they're saying: "At the end of the day, when we're successful, I really do think it will be fundamentally game changing for our region," Sam Jackson, who leads the project, told Axios Huntsville.
Catch up quick: The BRIDGES Engine is a coalition of 83 partners researching the use of grasses in manufacturing everything from car parts to construction materials.
- The acronym stands for Bio-based Rural Innovation for Domestic Growth & Economic Security, essentially pursuing rural economic development.
- Researchers are looking at ways to grow grasses like miscanthus and switchgrass in underutilized areas of local farmlands, and use the grass as raw materials for manufacturing.
- "We're connecting farmers and landowners all the way through consumer products," Jackson said. "With the bio-products market, that manufacturing will move back into these rural communities and provide jobs."
How it works: The BRIDGES Engine is one of 15 finalists for the National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines program, which offers up to $160 million over 10 years to the winner.
- BRIDGES was chosen as one of 29 semifinalists in July from an initial pool of 300 proposals.
What's next: The NSF team will conduct site visits ahead of an announcement in early 2026, Jackson said, with the BRIDGES site visit planned for the week before Thanksgiving.
- They'll spend two days interviewing and evaluating the team and program alongside the 14 other finalists before making the final call next year.
- "That period between our visit in November and the award is probably going to be some of the longest months of my life," Jackson said.
Even if BRIDGES doesn't win the NSF funding, the initiatives it started will continue, he said, but that development will happen at a much slower pace.
The bottom line: "The NSF Engine is a 10-year investment," Jackson said. "I hope I retire from this engine and it's still going 40 years from now, still generating new ideas, new industry, new developments for the region."