The biotech startup MicroHarvest, recognized for its disruptive approach to the production of alternative proteins, has announced a significant milestone in its journey towards large-scale production. The company has revealed it has validated its ability to scale-up its production to 10 tons per day in a single vessel, representing a ten-fold increase over its current capacity and its ability to meet commercial demands.
MicroHarvest’s proprietary technology uses microbial fermentation to produce high-quality proteins in just 24 hours, using agricultural by-products as raw materials. This efficient process significantly reduces the environmental footprint compared to traditional protein sources.
With this progress, the company plans to increase production capacity to up to 15,000 tons per year by the end of 2026. This ambitious goal aims to diversify protein sources on a large scale, meeting the growing demand for sustainable alternatives in the food sector.
MicroHarvest’s CEO, Katelijne Bekers, said: “Producers of feed and food face high pressure to adopt novel ingredients within 3-5 years, but scaling these ingredients has been a bottleneck for the B2B ingredients market. First trials require hundreds of kilos or even tons of product to test with, followed by consistent, large-scale production in the magnitude of thousands of tons. While many biotechnology startups struggle to scale their production beyond small pilot volumes in the range of a few kilos, we’ve always successfully run pilots with 50-100 kg of product. In addition, we have also found a solution to address the urgent industry need to diversify protein sources at scale now. Our demonstrated process stability at scale put us in a unique position to actually match market demand in 2026.”
The company revealed that its recent trials confirmed the stability and predictability of microorganisms, with critical process parameters remaining consistent across both small-scale trials and larger productions. Impressively, the trials demonstrated a rapid seed train, transitioning from cryovial to full-scale production over ten times faster than traditional food industry methods. This achievement comes just three years after MicroHarvest began operations, having conducted its first pilot trial less than six months after starting in the lab.
“Our technology minimizes the risk of contamination and focuses on quickly recovering production upon technical problems. Having overcome any remaining technological barriers, MicroHarvest is committed to reaching its kiloton output target.”, said Jonathan Roberz, COO of MicroHarvest.
Earlier MicroHarvest’s technology not only significantly reduces the environmental footprint of food production, but also presents opportunities for diversified applications in sectors such as human and animal nutrition. The startup is also conducting and planning validation and application trials on salmon and shrimp, in collaboration with several global aquaculture feed producers, covering millions of tons of feed. These trials aim to demonstrate the efficacy and applicability of its microbial proteins in animal nutrition. Furthermore, the company intends to broaden its protein uses to human nutrition in the future, establishing MicroHarvest as a versatile participant at the vanguard of sustainable protein innovation.
As the company continues to refine its processes and expand production capabilities, it remains committed to addressing global challenges in food security and sustainability, offering innovative alternatives that align with the growing demand for efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.
P-BIO
19 de novembro de 2024
