The Engineered Plants in Culture (EPiC) four-year project was funded by a $3M NSF Future Manufacturing (Award #2428060) in June 2025. Research teams will focus on the use of plant synthetic biology and bioprocess engineering to develop sustainable biomanufacturing for low-resource environments on Earth, in low-Earth orbit, and in space. EPiC's plant-based bioprocessing platforms will include engineered plant cells (transgenic rice cell suspension cultures), plant embryos (transgenic walnut embryos), and fast-growing aquatic plants (transgenic duckweed).
EPiC will also develop training resources to bolster STEM education and support workforce development in this technology sector. Planned activities include a Bioreactor Design Challenge for undergraduates, Technical Workshops for all research stakeholders, a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for high school and community college instructors, and on-going outreach to K-14 students and the general public.
EPiC's UC Davis Leadership Team
- PI Karen McDonald (Chemical Engineering)
- Co-PI Abhaya Dandekar (Plant Sciences)
- Co-PI Stephen Robinson (Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering)
- Co-PI Denneal Jamison-McClung (Biotech Program)
- Co-PI Somen Nandi (Chemical Engineering)
EPiC's Collaborators
Related Resources