WPI is highlighted as one of the major forces behind developing a bioindustrial manufacturing hub in Central Massachusetts. Eric Young, assistant professor of chemical engineering told the Worcester Business Journal “We can leverage what Massachusetts is great at, and map it to a broader bioindustrial landscape. We can use the strong base we already have, and add in a few extra pieces.” 

More than 150 media outlets, including The Oklahoman and The Pittsburg Post-Gazette, reported on Eric Young, Leonard P. Kinnicutt Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at WPI, who received four separate grants totaling more than $2 million to support his research into using yeast and fungi to take on significant genetic engineering challenges. Through his research in synthetic biology, Young aims to engineer organisms to make it easier to develop numerous products, like medicines, biofuels, and plastics, and increase security by developing a new method to detect hidden underground explosives.