RPI researchers named to TARDISS team studying rubber production in the U.S.

Troy, NY – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researchers are part of a multi-institution team working to bring rubber production to the United States and better secure the supply chain for this critical material.

The team is supported through the “Transformation of American Rubber through Domestic Innovation for Supply Security” (TARDISS) Engineering Research Center (ERC) through the U.S. National Science Foundation. Headquartered at Ohio State University, TARDISS will receive $26 million over five years with the ability to renew for the same amount over another five years.

Globally, more than 14 million tons of natural rubber are produced annually, with the world market expected to reach $28 billion by 2026. Currently, natural rubber comes from a single plant, the tropical rubber tree, which is grown primarily in Southeast Asia. In recent years, disease and supply chain issues have led to disruptions in the global rubber supply. Ninety percent of natural rubber goes to making tires, though it is used in 50,000 applications and products.

TARDISS will explore alternative sources of natural rubber that can be sustainably grown in the United States. RPI researchers Mattheos Koffas, Ph.D., and Gaetano Montelione, Ph.D., will contribute to the project’s first thrust, which will focus on understanding how plants produce natural rubber at the molecular level and the chemical reactions involved in creating the final rubber product. They will also investigate the biochemical differences between the tropical rubber tree and alternative plants, such as dandelion, which also produce natural rubber.

Koffas and Montelione will leverage their labs’ strengths in enzyme and protein engineering to offer important insights into the fundamental attributes of natural rubber synthesis, which will help lay the scientific groundwork for the rest of the project.

Koffas is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Dorothy and Fred Chau ʼ71 Career Development Constellation Professor in Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering. Montelione is a professor and Constellation Endowed Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Both Koffas and Montelione are members of the RPI Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.