Dr. Tanvi Govil is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at South Dakota Mines, where she leads the CellFe Biomanufacturing Lab, a multidisciplinary group advancing extremophile biology, enzyme engineering, and circular biomanufacturing. Her team develops technologies that convert industrial and agricultural waste streams into high-value, low-carbon materials for sustainable agriculture and manufacturing. Her talk, “From Corn Stover to PHA: Transitioning from Whole-Cell to Cell-Free Biomanufacturing,” traces the scientific and engineering journey behind her group’s efforts to turn an abundant residue, corn stover, into soil-biodegradable bioplastics. The presentation outlines how initial patent-supported work demonstrated direct PHA production from untreated stover using thermophilic microbes, revealing both the potential and the limits of whole-cell conversion. Building on that foundation, the team has now established a modular, cell-free platform that upgrades stover-derived acetate into defined PHA monomer precursors using purified enzymes. Dr. Govil will discuss key advances in enzyme stabilization, cofactor regeneration, and micro-reactor design that enable continuous operation and precise product control. Together, these developments mark a shift from biological proof-of-concept to an integrated, field-relevant system for converting crop residues into biodegradable plastics, closing the loop between agriculture, waste, and sustainable materials