Danone and DMC create a platform for large-scale precision fermentation (19459000)
Danone seeks to develop precision fermentation. Danone is working with Michelin Manufacturing, US startup DMC Technologies and French bank Crédit Agricole on a platform to scale up precision fermentation.
Biotech Open will enable companies to scale up their precision fermentation efforts. Located in the French city of Clermont-Ferrand, the platform will aim to enable the mass production of innovative products from precision fermentation, starting with those of its founders and then expanding outwards.
The project plans to have a demonstration-scale production facility, including purification and fermentation equipment, installed by 2025. The project will continue to add equipment, including a new production line.
The platform, in addition to the participation of the four referenced establishments, will also be supported by Greentech, the University of Clermont Auvergne and the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund.
What is the purpose of this platform?
Many start-ups are able to test ideas in the laboratory, but few can commercialize their products.
The new platform will provide the exact capacity these manufacturers need to enable production to move from niche to mass production. With approximately 10 m3This platform, which includes a fermentation tank as well as multiple downstream machines, will accelerate the process of scaling and validating small laboratory formulas or pilot formulas with tailor-made parameters,” said a representative of Danone. » said FoodNavigator. The platform is available to all companies working in this field.
What is precision fermentation?
Precision fermentation uses microorganisms to create specific ingredients. Plant-based dairy products You can also learn more about:Vegan food coloring You can also learn more about:Lactoferrin Breast milk contains a substance called.Michelin says the platform is a technology that allows small manufacturers to develop ideas at scale without having their own. The Michelin spokesperson told us there was an urgent need around the world to provide facilities for small businesses to develop ideas. scale up their operations without having to build their own factories.
The project we are building aims to develop disruptive technologies on a pre-industrial scale. . . “Each stage may be seen by some as the death valley of innovation, as only a few of these capabilities are available and direct investment in such a tool is prohibitive for many innovative companies. »
What will be the contributions of the main actors?
Each of these key players brings something unique to the development of the center. Danone, for example, has over a hundred years of experience in the food industry, including extensive knowledge of fermentation.
Danone's spokesperson said that "over the past 100 years, Danone has used fermentation technology to innovate and bring the best products to its consumers."
DMC Technologies was founded in 2014. It is a biotechnology company that will use its expertise in precision fermentation to enrich the platform. DMC's Kenny Erdoes, CEO of DMC Technologies, told FoodNavigator that "DMC will bring specialized fermentation expertise to the partnership."
DMC's metabolism engineering technology simplifies fermentation biology to make it more robust, predictable and scalable. “We want to have as much impact as possible by reducing carbon emissions, improving the security of supply of vital nutritional products and offshoring processes to Europe or the United States. »
Investing in fermentation
The British government announced earlier this year that it would implement a new tax system.
12 million PS invested The Microbial Food Hub is a fermentation research center based at Imperial College London. Research includes precision fermentation and bio-based fermentation.Private sector investors, including major players
Cargill Precision fermentation is now possible.Michelin is not active in the food industry, but it is a major tire producer. The company will use its engineering expertise to help with the project. Michelin is a company with strong engineering skills and has a proven track record in designing industrial units as well as demonstration scale prototypes for the chemical industry.
What are the challenges to developing precision fermentation?
It is not easy to scale precision fermentation. Inconsistent performance and a lack of capital can pose obstacles to development.
Erdoes, from DMC, explained to us that in the field of biotechnology, the lack of capital could pose problems for the producer. In biotechnology, it is difficult to access fermentation plants and raise capital for your own facility. The process is slow, making it difficult to bring biotechnology to the masses as quickly as necessary.
Fermentation performance at different scales is a problem specific to this process. Fermentation companies struggle to move bioprocesses from laboratory to commercial and pilot scales due to inconsistencies at different scales.
Danone believes that the problem lies not only in the size of the equipment but also in the shortage of ingredients. "From the manufacturers' point of view
[a] The main challenges facing this sector relate to [the] quantity of ingredients required to achieve a proof of concept to validate functionality and to gain confidence for scaling an ingredient » his spokesperson informed us. [tea]
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