LanzaTech and DTU's BRIGHT Institute Launch Multi-Year Partnership to Build a C1 Biofoundry in Europe

The collaboration will install next-generation gas fermentation infrastructure at the Technical University of Denmark, converting CO₂, CO, and methane into fuels, chemicals, and materials.

May 5, 2026

Ahead of their appearance at SynBioBeta 2026, May 4-7th in San Jose, LanzaTech announces a multi-year partnership with BRIGHT, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition at DTU, to establish a next-generation C1 biofoundry in Denmark.

Gas fermentation uses microbes to transform CO₂, CO, and methane into fuels, chemicals, and materials. It is emerging as a pathway for reducing industrial emissions while producing something useful from the waste carbon. Engineering the specialized microbes that do this work is difficult. They are non-model, often anaerobic organisms that require gas handling, advanced automation, and high-
throughput strain development tools.

LanzaTech (NASDAQ: LNZA) has spent over 15 years building synthetic biology capabilities for these organisms, including what the company describes as the first dedicated biofoundry for gas-fermenting microbes. The new agreement extends that infrastructure to Europe. A LanzaTech team will develop tailored methods and workflows for BRIGHT's research missions, provide a non-exclusive license to
relevant IP, and design and install a customized C1 biofoundry at DTU. The partnership runs until April 2028.

"We are delighted to partner with BRIGHT," said LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren. "This marks a significant milestone in our transformation. By creating a dedicated team that consolidates our biotechnology know-how, we can focus the broader team on our commitment to delivering commercial sustainable aviation fuel and biorefining projects."

"This partnership brings unique capabilities to Denmark and accelerates our ambition to turn carbon emissions into valuable products," said Luuk van der Wielen, Director of BRIGHT.

The biofoundry will enable faster strain development cycles through automation and parallelization, integration of AI-driven design tools feeding data from large-scale strain screening into the next design cycle, and specialized infrastructure for safe work with anaerobic organisms and flammable gases.

Access to C1 biofoundry capabilities is currently limited worldwide. BRIGHT's installation is intended to serve as a shared platform for researchers and partners across Denmark and Europe.