TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Georgia State University’s Office of Technology Licensing & Commercialization works to ensure that great ideas find their way out of the lab and into the hands of the people who need them.
YEAR FOUNDED
2017
DEVELOPMENT STATUS
Scaling
FUNDING SUPPORT
Georgia Research Alliance
U.S. Department of Energy
Using Microbes to Upcycle Plastic
In 2018, the world produced more than 395 million tons of plastic, most of which ends up in our landfills and oceans. This global crisis is unlikely to end soon—in fact, the World Economic Forum predicts that plastic production will double over the next 20 years.
Eric Gilbert, associate professor of biology at Georgia State, has developed an effective and commercially viable process to upcycle plastic waste, generating a product that is more valuable than the starting materials. Gilbert specializes in microbial biofilms, and Southeastern Biochemicals uses his technology to deploy microbes that break down plastic waste and, in turn, generate fatty acids, glycerin and high-value chemical derivatives used in products like cosmetics, soaps and detergents, lubricants, tires, coatings and resins.
—Eric Gilbert
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TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Georgia State University’s Office of Technology Licensing & Commercialization works to ensure that great ideas find their way out of the lab and into the hands of the people who need them.