FLCC awarded funding to fight food scarcity

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Finger Lakes Community College has been awarded $100,000 in a national contest to develop solutions to food scarcity.

FLCC submitted the project to Biomade Build, a national academic challenge for college teams and industry mentors. The local college was among seven chosen to receive funding.

“The scenario that we’re working under is food insecurity and food deserts, so the whole concept is can you come up with a technological solution to the scenario that you pick,” FLCC Biology Professor Jim Hewlett said. “In the end, we just want to be able to demonstrate to Biomade and the Department of Defense, we may have a technology that they can then use in the future to commercialize and address those challenges.”

Organizers say students also build professional experience as they gain skills in research methods and training in biomanufacturing.

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