SBIR Phase II: Development of Novel Enzymatic Antibiofilm Formulations

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a powerful enzyme / biocide formulation for industrial water treatment. The research concept targets enzyme-facilitated diffusion of biocide for maximum biofilm control efficacy and provides a resultant low cost product with lowered environmental load. Proprietary gene evolution technologies will be used to enhance enzyme efficacy and to optimize process stability to provide robust enzyme candidates for formulation with conventional biocides. Optimized enzyme / biocide formulations will be tested against multispecies biofilms grown under simulated industrial process conditions. The commercial application of this project is in the area of industrial bioproducts. Microbial fouling is a common problem in a variety of industrial, household, personal hygiene, and medical settings. To this end, a critical need exists for improved microbial control methods that are effective, economically beneficial, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. The anti-biofilm enzyme products, such as those targeted in this project, are expected to meet these needs for a market that represents an opportunity value of $995 million.