A Wisconsin company, Quantum Tubers Corp., of Delavan, WI, announced today plans to build the world’s largest biomanufacturing facility for mini-tuber production.
The facility will develop zero-generation, pathogen-free seed. Production will total over 20 million mini-tubers each year under a proprietary, controlled-environment system developed by Quantum in conjunction with NASA.
The Quantum Tubers technology will be revolutionary in its ability to provide, for the first time, immense quantities of disease-free potato seed stock in a fraction of the normal time.
The commercial quantities of mini-tubers eliminate at least five years from any current production method. The technology will change the economics of potato production by providing greater quantities of lower-priced early generation seed stocks anywhere in the world.
The facility is also designed to produce pharmaceutical-grade seed materials for the developing edible plant-vaccine industry. Genetic modification is not necessary for this production system.
The process was developed through the coordinated efforts of Quantum, U of WI-Madison’s plant pathology department, and the NASA Space Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, the UW Biotron and the UW Hancock Research Center at Hancock, WI.
The project represents 10 years of research and has resulted in a successful commercial business for the company. Global expansion of additional production facilities is being readied for international deployment this year.