Fermentation
Technology and production innovation priorities in fermentation
A majority of the current fermentation production facilities (including contract manufacturers) are optimised for applications in industrial biotechnology and bioethanol production with submerged fermentation using classical stirred tank bioreactors.
Production platform
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Fermentation
Technology sector
- Fermentation tech scale-up and production
Resources:
- https://gfi.org/science/the-science-of-fermentation/#h-bioprocess-design
- Bioprocess intensification: A route to efficient and sustainable biocatalytic transformations for the future
- https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SCI23024_FERM-manufacturing-capacity-analysis_Final.pdf
Current challenges
- A majority of the current fermentation production facilities (including contract manufacturers) are optimised for applications in industrial biotechnology and bioethanol production with submerged fermentation using classical stirred tank bioreactors. So, there is relatively limited option for custom work on innovative process design – both within submerged fermentation production methods and the exploration of solid-state fermentation (SSF) processes – that could have the potential to address cost sensitivity and sustainability considerations to suit the manufacturing requirements of alternative protein applications.
- The post-bioreactor stages of downstream processing technologies (such as cell harvesting, target molecule separation, and drying/preservation), in current industrial production processes typically assume very high purity, whereas this may be unnecessary for many of the flavouring ingredients or functional proteins used in alternative protein products. These are yet to be optimised for fermentation-related alternative protein production processes, which would help reduce operational expenditures, improve downstream yield and unit economics.
- The manufacturing capacity for rapid and cost-effective scale-up of alternative protein production is a current constraint on the growth of the industry. Retrofitting adjacent sectors with equipment & facility profiles for use in alternative protein manufacturing is an under-explored opportunity for the industry.
Proposed solutions
- Innovations in basic bioreactor design could accommodate denser or more viscous cultures, facilitate nutrient and air exchange at larger volumes and with less energy consumption, or enable longer periods of continuous production in submerged fermentation. Exploration of solid-state fermentation platforms holds the potential to create whole-muscle cuts or convert plant-based proteins into more functional ingredients. These SSF systems may offer cost savings and lower barriers to entry because they do not require the same capital-intensive stainless-steel bioreactors needed for submerged fermentation. Solid-state fermentation platforms also open the door to scale-out approaches rather than scale-up approaches.
- Innovations are required to improve precision fermentation-related DSP steps for protein isolation and drying that improve the unit economics of food ingredient production and are scalable to commercial-scale bioprocess unit operations. Such solutions could be novel single-capture step affinity-chromatography technologies, filtration equipment architectures, novel separation substrates/materials, biochemistry solutions that substantially improve separation/isolation, or a combination thereof.
- Repurposing and retrofitting stranded or underutilised assets, such as breweries and bioethanol plants, can help mitigate some of the financial hurdles and shorten the amount of time required for companies to expand production. If conversion from bioethanol facilities to anaerobic food production facilities is found to be feasible from a techno-economic perspective, then anaerobic growth should be a key screening condition within comprehensive strain assessment efforts, because most microorganisms currently used for food ingredient fermentation require aerobic growth