Manus, The BioAlternatives Company®, will welcome members of the U.S. National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) to its Augusta BioFacility on Thursday to unveil a major expansion of its U.S.-based biomanufacturing capacity. The visit, part of the Commission’s national Biotech Across America Roadshow, highlights Manus’ role in strengthening U.S. biomanufacturing leadership, bolstering supply chain resilience, and advancing national security – accelerating the transition to BioAlternatives by delivering the benefits of biomanufacturing, today.

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“Biomanufacturing is not a future promise – it’s here now, in rural Georgia,” says Ajikumar “Aji” Parayil, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Manus. “The Augusta BioFacility stands as proof that we can reshore production, create high-quality American jobs, and deliver resilient innovation at scale. We are honored to showcase this capability to the NSCEB and contribute to shaping a strong, coordinated national strategy.”

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The Augusta BioFacility – one of the largest biomanufacturing sites in the United States – offers a rare, tangible example of the bioeconomy in action. In 2018, Manus acquired and transformed the former NutraSweet facility, which had shuttered in 2014 after global production shifted to China. The company rehired many of the original operators, bringing skilled jobs back to rural Georgia and integrating them into the economy of the future.

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Manus continues to expand and upskill its workforce through on-site professional development and training programs, while partnering with local schools and universities to introduce students to career opportunities in biomanufacturing. These efforts help strengthen Augusta’s regional talent pipeline and prepare the next generation of skilled manufacturing professionals.

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Expansion of the BioFacility

The new expansion of the Augusta BioFacility strengthens U.S. capacity to produce critical biobased ingredients domestically. Today, the facility manufactures a growing portfolio of biobased ingredients, including high-purity Reb M – a next-generation stevia sweetener known for its clean, sugar-like taste and recently launched as Yume™ M Stevia Sweetener.

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In nature, Reb M occurs in the stevia leaf at less than 0.01 percent of total glycosides, making traditional extraction methods impractical at scale and underscoring the importance of advanced biomanufacturing to reliably supply the ingredient.

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To support growing global demand while reinforcing domestic production capabilities, Manus recently completed a series of upgrades across key stages of production at the Augusta BioFacility. Improvements to separation systems, drying operations, and packaging infrastructure strengthen the facility’s ability to consistently deliver high-purity Reb M from a U.S.-based manufacturing platform.

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“As we scale the Manus bioalternatives platform, Augusta has become a powerful example of what the modern U.S. bioeconomy looks like in practice,” Parayil says. “The site now supports more than 100 high-quality jobs, bringing together PhDs from leading institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and Berkeley alongside highly skilled manufacturing professionals. That diversity of expertise is exactly what it takes to build and operate the bioeconomy at industrial scale.”

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The expansion comes as Manus continues to scale its bioalternatives platform and deepen partnerships across industries, including its strategic collaboration with Tate & Lyle. In February, Manus also announced an expanded partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC), which is part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), including a $15 million award to help establish domestic production of critical pharmaceutical inputs from the Augusta BioFacility and strengthen America’s health security.

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The NSCEB’s visit follows the Commission’s recently released recommendations for accelerating U.S. leadership in biotechnology and biomanufacturing – a vision Manus strongly supports, including through its role as a founding member of the new American Alliance for Biomanufacturing (AAB).

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By repurposing existing infrastructure, creating real-world impact, and driving reindustrialization, Manus offers a working model for how the bioeconomy can deliver on its promise.

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Augusta BioFacility Expansion

· Installation of state-of-the-art production equipment and modern process controls to enhance automation, efficiency, and product quality.

· Expanded separation capacity to support higher production throughput.

· Upgraded drying technology to improve consistency and product stability.

· Automated packaging systems to streamline final processing and distribution.

· Enhanced infrastructure designed to maintain high purity and product integrity at commercial scale for food and beverage applications.

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