Metabolic control
Synergistic co-feeding balances carbon, ATP, and reducing power.
C1 carbon → SAF feedstocks
Engineering biology to turn C1 carbon into SAF feedstocks.
C1 Foundry is developing a two-stage biological platform that converts CO2 and H2 into acetate and then into lipid and hydrocarbon intermediates for sustainable aviation fuel production.
Two-stage biological architecture
C1 inputs
CO2 + H2
Carbon and reducing equivalents enter the platform.
Stage 1
M. thermoacetica
Converts CO2 and H2 to acetate; controlled glucose co-feeding supports ATP generation.
Stage 2
Y. lipolytica
Converts acetate toward long-chain fatty acids and terpenoid-derived intermediates; gluconate supports reducing power.
Initial commercial handoff
SAF producers / refiners
Receive lipid-rich feedstock or intermediates for downstream upgrading into qualified SAF.
Core innovation
Three engineering layers shape the C1-to-SAF platform.
De novo molecular design
Metabolic engineering targets fatty-acid and terpenoid-derived hydrocarbon structures.
Continuous processing
Continuous bioprocessing targets productivity, stability, and eventual industrial scale.
Commercial focus
A defined biological platform with a disciplined first product.
The initial product is a lipid-rich SAF feedstock or intermediate for SAF producers and refiners—not finished or certified jet fuel. C1 Foundry is concentrating early development on carbon allocation, productivity, titer, yield, energy demand, recovery, and downstream upgrading requirements.
Development boundary
Prior scientific evidence supports the building blocks; integrated continuous performance remains the development task.
Scientific foundation
- Synergistic substrate co-feeding
- CO2-to-acetate conversion
- Acetate-driven lipid synthesis
→
Development questions
- Volumetric productivity + titer
- Hydrocarbon composition
- Continuous stability + robustness
→
Commercial pathway
- Lipid-rich SAF intermediate
- Downstream upgrading
- SAF producers + refiners
Commercialization
Define the feedstock that downstream SAF infrastructure needs.
C1 Foundry is seeking technical and customer input on product specifications, process integration, recovery, upgrading, and the performance thresholds that matter to SAF producers and refiners.