Augusta
March 12, 2026
The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) traveled to Augusta, Georgia where Commissioners Paul Arcangeli, Dawn Meyerriecks, and Dov Zakheim visited Manus’ newly transformed biomanufacturing facility.
In the NSCEB’s April 2025 action plan for strengthening U.S. biotechnology, biomanufacturing is highlighted as a critical component of national security, a means of securing critical supply chains, and a revitalizing force for the U.S. industrial base. Investments like those in Augusta are key to capturing biomanufacturing’s economic growth and job creation potential.
“Biomanufacturing is a national security capability,” said NSCEB Commissioner Paul Arcangeli. “The Manus mission is paving the way for us to produce critical materials, medicines, and industrial inputs right here in Georgia using biology. We are securing the supply chains that power the American economy and secure our nation.”
“This is a powerful opportunity to rebuild our industrial strength,” said NSCEB Commissioner Dawn Meyerriecks. “The U.S. has a long history of making the best products in the world, but our manufacturing might has faltered as industry has moved offshore. Augusta’s focus on biomanufacturing and Manus’ success shows how we can turn that trend around, not only securing critical supply chains but creating new jobs and new economic growth as well.”
“Augusta should be a template for the rest of the country,” said NSCEB Commissioner Dov Zakheim. “This formula of prioritizing biotechnology and reimaging what our industrial infrastructure can do is repeatable all over the nation. A new vision of manufacturing is coming to the United States, powered by biology.”
“Augusta is proud to host leaders from across the country who are advancing the future of biotechnology and strengthening America’s supply chain resilience,” said Mayor Garnett L. Johnson, City of Augusta. “The work taking place at the Manus BioFacility demonstrates how innovation, advanced manufacturing, and community partnerships can position cities like Augusta at the forefront of emerging industries while creating meaningful economic opportunities for our residents.”
“AAB was founded to both accelerate the commercial deployment of bio-based products and to strengthen domestic supply chains with biomanufacturing,” said Brooke Coleman, Executive Director of American Alliance for Biomanufacturing. “Manus embodies both of those goals and is an exemplar of what AAB’s members are doing to advance U.S. economic resilience and supply chain security. We echo the NSCEB’s clear and urgent call for action and are ready to work with policymakers to lead the next century of innovation.”
“Biomanufacturing is not a future promise – it’s here now, in rural Georgia,” said 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.”
“Augusta has long been known as the ‘City of Medicine,’ anchored by world-class institutions like Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia, along with a growing ecosystem of life sciences companies and innovators,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO, Georgia Life Sciences. “Its designation as a BioReady® Gold community reflects the region’s commitment to building the infrastructure, talent pipeline, and collaborative environment needed to support biotech growth. Augusta is uniquely positioned to accelerate research, commercialization, and manufacturing that will shape the future of Georgia’s life sciences economy.”
Event details:
At Manus, Commissioners were welcomed to Augusta by Mayor Garnett Johnson and heard a presentation on Georgia as a growing biomanufacturing hub from Bob Kosek, Division Director of Global Commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The Commissioners then joined two roundtable discussions. The first was a deeper dive into using biotechnology as a tool to build resilient critical supply chains. The Commission’s research shows that biotechnology can secure critical U.S. supply chains beyond just those for medicine and pharmaceuticals, and new biotech-powered supply chains would be secure from foreign influence.
In the second roundtable table discussion, Commissioners explored how biotechnology workforce training impacts communities like Augusta. New opportunities in biotechnology will not be limited to scientific labs clustered on the coasts but will include jobs requiring skillsets found across the country.
In the afternoon, Commissioners toured Manus’ newly updated biomanufacturing facility, one of the largest biomanufacturing sites in the United States. The site was formerly the manufacturing facility for NutraSweet and has been revitalized with a new mission: onshoring manufacturing to secure U.S. critical supply chains using biotechnology. Converting old industrial infrastructure to serve new missions is American ingenuity in action.
To close the day, Commissioners attended a showcase of Manus’ biomanufactured products that highlighted the range of applications for biotechnology and demonstrated how emerging biotechnology is reshaping the way we produce everything from food to industrial products.
Event participants included:
- American Alliance for Biomanufacturing
- Augusta Economic Development
- Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce
- Danimer Scientific
- Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center
- Georgia Department of Economic Development
- Georgia Life Sciences
- Georgia Tech
- Johnson & Johnson
- LanzaTech
- Manus
- Office of the Augusta County Administrator
- Office of Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson
- Office of U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff
- University of Georgia
