Swalwell Announces $1.5 Million Federal Grant for Hayward Small Business

HAYWARD, CA – U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) today announced that Microvi Biotechnologies in Hayward was awarded a $1.5 million federal grant over two years to develop a high performance bioprocess for eliminating "1,4-Dioxane," a probable human carcinogen, in water. The grant was provided through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

"I congratulate Microvi Biotechnologies in Hayward and their CEO, Dr. Fatemeh Shirazi, on receiving this federal grant to help them pursue the development of a critical technology to keep our water safe," said Swalwell. "Technological innovations like the sustainable solutions developed at Microvi are driving our economic growth in the Bay Area, and I will keep advocating for strong public-private partnerships to support this sector. Maintaining our federal investment in clean technology is the right thing to do for our economy, environment and health."

"This grant is a testament to Microvi's emphasis on providing economical biological solutions to some of the hardest challenges we face today, including treating water and producing alternative fuels, and we are pleased to have Congressman Swalwell's support," said Dr. Fatemeh Shirazi, CEO of Microvi.