New York City, NY - 7th August 2024 - Synonym, a biomanufacturing infrastructure developer, has been awarded $1.89 million by the Department of Defense (DoD) as part of the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This funding aims to strengthen the domestic supply of essential materials and ingredients by advancing biomanufacturing infrastructure across the United States.

The DBIMP award will support Synonym's plans to build a new facility or rehabilitate an underutilized precision fermentation facility to domestically produce products critical to US supply chains. Potential facility locations include Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee. This initiative aligns with the objectives of the White House's Executive Order 14081, "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy," which seeks to strengthen America's bioeconomic capabilities and advance defense capabilities.

"Receiving this award from the Department of Defense is a significant milestone for Synonym," said Edward Shenderovich, CEO of Synonym. "This funding will enable us to advance the development of essential biomanufacturing infrastructure and contribute to the robust growth of the American bioeconomy. We are excited to play a vital role in bolstering national and economic security through advanced biomanufacturing."

The Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program is overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA). The awarded funds will support the creation of comprehensive business and technical plans for the construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing facilities. Successful projects may receive follow-on awards providing access to up to $100 million to build these facilities.