Caravel Bio Wins NSF Grant for New Protein Research
The funding supports engineering proteins with expanded amino acid sets to potentially reduce carbon capture costs by 40%.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Life Sciences
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Portland-based Caravel Bio has received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The research-stage funding supports the development of proteins using amino acids beyond the standard 20, aiming to create proteins with enhanced capabilities or longevity.
Why it matters
The initiative seeks to expand protein engineering beyond natural limits, which could eventually lower carbon capture costs by an estimated 40% if scaled successfully. This work builds upon the company's prior enzyme stability findings, which demonstrated a 12-fold improvement in factory-condition tests.
Caravel Bio uses bacterial spores to track protein experiments and AI to predict viable protein versions. Testing has demonstrated these engineered enzymes are 12 times more stable in factory conditions compared to previous benchmarks.
The players
Caravel Bio
A Portland-based startup founded in 2022 that uses AI and bacterial spores to engineer proteins for industrial applications.
National Science Foundation
A U.S. government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all fields of science and engineering.
Avery Bio
A San Diego-based research partner currently testing the protein engineering technology.
Ribbon Bio
An Austrian partner collaborating on the validation of the protein synthesis technology.
Shell
A global energy company that serves as a customer for the startup's protein engineering outputs.
The details
The platform utilizes tiny liquid droplets to facilitate the synthesis and testing of proteins. By incorporating amino acids outside the standard 20, researchers intend to build molecular structures with new mechanical or chemical properties. This process relies on predictive AI models to determine which protein versions are most likely to remain functional under industrial stress.
Timeline
2022: Caravel Bio was founded.
2025: The company received a $2.2 million share of an NSF award.
October 2026: The company announced the $1.2 million grant.
November 2026: Staff count is expected to reach 11 employees.
The Tech Race
This grant follows the company's 2025 NSF project, signaling a continued federal commitment to its proprietary protein engineering stack. The company is now working to differentiate its output by moving beyond the standard amino acid set while competing for market share in industrial biocatalysis.
The startup plans to expand its current team of nine employees to 11 by next month. The technology remains in research development and is not yet available for general industrial use.
The takeaway
Caravel Bio is currently leveraging federal funding to push protein engineering beyond biological norms. Interested parties should monitor the company's progress on scaling this synthesis method, as achieving industrial-scale production remains the critical milestone for its carbon capture goals.
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