Pyran, a company that makes paints and coatings from renewable sources, has received a $1 million Phase II Small Business Innovative Research grant from the National Science Foundation, the company announced recently.

“We are honored to have garnered the support of the NSF, as it demonstrates that we are on the cutting edge of making everyday products using renewable resources,” Pyran Co-Founder Dr. Kevin Barnett said in a statement.

According to a release, the company has discovered a new chemical pathway to make a key paint ingredient called 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PDO) out of corn cobs.

Pyran won the inaugural Bright New Idea award at the 2018 Governor’s Business Plan Contest.