**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DISPOSAL OF THE 77 MILLION DRY TONS OF ORGANIC WASTES AND REDUCING THE 40 MILLION TONS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION GENERATED ANNUALLY IN THE US POSE DAUNTING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. USING THE WASTES AS FEEDSTOCK TO PRODUCE BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS INSTEAD WOULD PROVIDE A PERFECT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THAT ADDRESSES ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY. THIS PROJECT UNIQUELY SYNERGIZES THE SUPERIOR CAPABILITY OF HYPERTHERMOPHILIC ANAEROBIC DIGESTION (HTAD) FOR CONVERTING ORGANIC WASTE TO VOLATILE FATTY ACID (VFA) AND THAT OF YEAST YARROWIA LIPOLYTICA TO USE VFA AS THE PRECURSOR TO SYNTHESIZE BIOPOLYMERS. BY COMPLETELY USING C,O,H ELEMENTS IN THE VFAS IN BUILDING THE DESIGNER BIOPOLYER MOLECULES, THIS APPROACH CAN ACHIEVE HIGH EFFICIENCY OF CARBON UTILIZATION. THE PROJECT HAS FOUR OBJECTIVES: (1) DEVELOP HYPERTHERMOPHILIC AD PROCESS FOR HIGH RATE CONVERSION OF COMPLEX WASTE TO VFAS; (2) COMBINE METABOLIC FLUX ANALYSIS, COMPUTATIONAL STRAIN DESIGN, AND NOVEL PATHWAY ENGINEERING TO DEVELOP Y. LIPOLYTICA CELL FACTORY FOR HIGH YIELDS OF BIOPOLYMERS FROM VFAS, (3) DEMONSTRATE THE INTEGRATED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING BIOPRODUCTS FROM FOOD WASTE AT BENCH-SCALE, AND (4) DEVELOP AN EDUCATION PROGRAM TO TRAIN NEXT-GENERATION PROFESSIONALS AND ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS. THE ANTICIPATED OUTPUT OF THE PROJECT IS A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED, NEW KNOWLEDGE GENERATED, AND WELL-EDUCATED AND INFORMED INDIVIDUALS ON BIOPOLYMER. THIS PROPOSAL IS RESPONSIVE TO NIFA'S SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY THROUGH BIOBASED PRODUCTS (A1414) AREA, AND THE PROJECT RESULT IS EXPECTED TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THE USDA PROGRAMS.