GreenLight Biosciences to build pilot plant, create 30 jobs
Bioperformance company GreenLight Biosciences plans to construct a pilot plant at Eastman Business Park. The project will create up to 30 new jobs that will support the production of GreenLight’s RNA-based solutions for the agriculture and healthcare industries.
The pilot plant will enable GreenLight to bring GreenWorX™, its cell-free biomanufacturing process, to market in order to produce low-cost, high-quality RNA. RNA is a natural molecule found in all living organisms – animals, plants, fungi and humans – that facilitates virtually every biological process of life. The production of RNA through GreenWorX™ will help farmers grow food in a way that is natural and safe by targeting specific pests without harming other species or the environment. GreenLight’s innovations can also be used to accelerate the discovery and commercialization of vaccines and antibody therapies.
“We are disrupting the industry by bringing nature and technology together to develop sustainable, precise biocontrol solutions, and it’s critical that we continue to build a workforce that can carry these innovations forward,” said Carole Cobb, chief operating officer at GreenLight Biosciences. “Eastman Business Park is particularly attractive to us because of the access to talented scientists and manufacturing experts in the Rochester area as well as the the extensive infrastructure and capabilities of EBP.”
ESD is supporting the project with up to $600,000 through the Excelsior Jobs Program in exchange for job creation commitments. The total project cost has been placed at $16.6 million. Monroe County and Greater Rochester Enterprise also assisted with the project.
“New York State’s strategic investments help position cutting-edge science for commercialization and economic growth,” said Eric Gertler, Empire State Development acting commissioner and president & CEO-designate. “GreenLight Biosciences and its partners are working to create the next generation of environmentally innovative products, which will create jobs and drive economic activity in Rochester and throughout the region.”
EBP, the site where Kodak began manufacturing photographic film and paper more than a century ago, is being reinvigorated and is a significant attraction for businesses of the Finger Lakes region. Today, the campus supports over 114 companies, employing over 6,000 people. EBP is home to Kodak operations and to innovative companies like DuPont, Plug Power, BEST Test and Commercialization Center, LiDestri Food and Drink and Clearwater Organic Farms among several others.
Founded in 2009, GreenLight Biosciences is headquartered in Medford, Mass., and its research and development efforts are located at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. Its Rochester project will be complete by the end of the year.