World's Largest Geno™ Bio-BDO Plant Commences Operations in Iowa

Innovative Biomanufacturing Technology Deployed at World-Class Scale to Meet Growing Demand for More Sustainable, Resilient Supply Chains

SAN DIEGO, July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Geno announces the commencement of operations at the world's largest GENO™️ Bio-BDO (1,4-butanediol) manufacturing plant. The new manufacturing plant, located in Eddyville, Iowa, uses Geno's proprietary biocatalyst and process technology to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO) from U.S. grown, plant-based sugars, in a single-step fermentation process. The Geno-licensed facility is operated by Qore, a joint venture between Cargill and HELM that was created to help leading brands replace their fossil-based chemistries with more sustainable, plant-based alternatives.

Geno invented, scaled up, and engineered the GENO™️ Bio-BDO process, which it licenses to global manufacturers. The technology was originally commercialized with the start-up of the first licensed plant in 2016. Geno's Bio-BDO process enables the use of traceable, responsibly sourced, and renewable plant-based feedstocks, replacing fossil fuel-based inputs. The process is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of BDO by up to 90 percent when compared to traditional fossil-based BDO production. Qore publicly announced the official start of production at their new plant this week.

"Geno's proven biomanufacturing technology is being commercially deployed globally at industrial scale, to produce high-volume chemicals that are used in everyday products like textiles, packaging, home care and personal care products. These technologies are not only cost-competitive, but they also significantly reduce the carbon footprint of manufacturing by using renewable feedstocks and the power of state-of-the-art metabolic engineering and process design," said John Gugel, CEO of Geno. "I am incredibly proud of the Geno team as this vision has been realized for all of us and our partners in this project."

Geno licensed its GENO™️ Bio-BDO biomanufacturing process technology to Qore®, which produces BDO under the brand name QIRA®. Qore invested $300 million to build and operate the new facility in Iowa. The widely used molecule, BDO, can be found in a wide range of performance textiles, engineered plastics, biodegradable packaging, and other industrial compounds. In 2024, the size of the global BDO market was estimated to exceed three million tons, with demand expected to surpass four million tons by 2030.

To date, Geno has 150,000 tons per year of licensed GENO™️ Bio-BDO technology in operation or under construction. The Eddyville, Iowa facility is the second commercially operating licensed GENO™️ Bio-BDO facility in the world and the first located in the United States. The first facility is operating in Italy, and as previously announced, a third is currently under construction in Vietnam. For more information, visit the Geno website at www.genomatica.com 

About Geno

Geno is harnessing the power of biology to enable cost-competitive production of everyday products using alternative feedstocks that enable new resilient and traceable supply chains to produce high-volume chemicals with significantly lower carbon intensity. Through its Bio BDO process technology, Geno is enabling the production of more sustainable materials derived from plant or waste-based feedstocks instead of fossil fuels. Geno's technology can be used to create sustainable materials and ingredients in a range of everyday products, including apparel, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, engineered plastics, carpets, home cleaners, and much more.

To learn more, visit genomatica.com.

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SOURCE Geno