Asian Cultivated Seafood Partnership, Precision-Fermented Casein Debut, and Creatine from Plants

Also: Is China's potential biotech dominance, especially in cultivated meat, pushing US Republicans to embrace cultivated meat?

Hey, welcome to issue #77 of the Better Bioeconomy newsletter. Thanks for being here!

Here’s my favourite quote that I came across while working on this week’s issue:

“For the many cool emerging technologies that are in fact making foods healthier, the consumer messaging needs to focus on the nutritional benefits, rather than the “how” of the back-end enabling technologies. Food shoppers don’t need to know about precision fermentation, just like iPhone buyers don’t need to know about photolithography advances in semiconductor factories.”

- Marty Kolewe, CEO at Foodberry

By the way, if you are an agrifood tech startup founder (or thinking of being one) working on solutions for sustainable food systems, I'd love to connect—feel free to reach out! 🙂

Let’s dig into the latest developments in biotech-enabled agrifood businesses and breakthroughs! 🍽

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BIO BUZZ

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🧀 Those Vegan Cowboys debuted its precision-fermented casein protein, with plans to launch animal-free cheese in 2025

Credits: Those Vegan Cowboys

• The Dutch-Belgian startup's casein protein improves cheese stretchability up to 5x better than traditional cow-based casein. It also has a lower melting point, which further improves the performance of dairy-free cheeses.

• Those Vegan Cowboys’ process is far more sustainable than conventional dairy farming. The precision-fermented casein emits 80% less carbon and methane and requires only 1/5th of the land and water compared to animal-based casein.

• The startup has partnered with various industry leaders, including a Michelin-starred restaurant, a pizza company, and several cheese producers, to test the flavour and functionality of the casein.

Source: Green Queen

🤝 Umami Bioworks collaborates with KCell Biosciences and WSG to establish a cultivated seafood production pipeline in South Korea

• The partnership integrates Umami’s cultivation technology, KCell’s cell culture media, and WSG’s bioprocess hardware to create scalable and cost-efficient cultivated seafood production.

• South Korea’s government has established a favourable regulatory framework for cultivated meat, enabling market entry for companies like Singapore-based Umami Bioworks.

• Umami Bioworks¹ aims to achieve price parity with conventional seafood by the end of 2025, allowing their cultivated seafood products to compete with traditional options.

Source: Green Queen

💨 LanzaTech moves into the food arena with LanzaTech Nutritional Protein (LNP) set to reach commercial-scale production in 2028

• Using a bacterial strain designed specifically for LNP production, LanzaTech will produce a protein-rich product (80% protein by dry weight) with functional properties similar to whey and pea protein. The production process uses CO2 and H2 as feedstocks.

• LanzaTech has already sold 25,000 metric tons of single-cell protein for use as animal feed. This experience in feed applications forms the foundation for the development of LNP, which will serve both human and animal nutrition markets.

• Following two years of pilot testing and partnerships for product validation, LanzaTech is planning a facility that will produce between 0.5-1.5 metric tons of LNP per day by 2026. The company has laid out a roadmap to reach commercial-scale production of over 30,000 metric tons per year by 2028.

Source: AgFunder

🍄 Kinoko-Tech partnered with Australia’s Metaphor Foods to commercialize mycelium-based products, targeting a 2025 launch

• The Israeli startup uses grains, legumes, and food industry sidestreams (like vegetable peels) to grow mycelium, creating protein-rich products such as sausages and burgers, which will be sold in Australia.

• Kinoko-Tech's fermentation process, licensed from Yissum (Hebrew University), converts the inputs into protein-rich foods, resulting in a zero-waste production cycle with minimal emissions.

• In addition to center-of-plate meals, Kinoko-Tech offers snacks like flapjacks, protein bars, and chips, using sidestream ingredients like okra and natural sweeteners. These snacks are designed to be healthy, unprocessed, and packed with protein and fibre.

Source: Green Queen

🇨🇳🇺🇸 Is China's potential biotech dominance, especially in cultivated meat, pushing US Republicans to embrace cultivated meat?

• 11 Republican Congress members, led by Andrew Garbarino and Dan Newhouse, called for an analysis of China’s advances in cultivated meat and synthetic biology. They view these developments as threats to US leadership in food security.

• China's 5-year plan calls for research in cultivated meat, alt proteins, and aims to dominate global supply chains. US Republicans are concerned that China's growing influence in the novel protein sector could impact global food security and threaten the food supply of the US and its allies.

• Despite the US. having a strong position in the alt protein sector, continued efforts to ban cultivated meat domestically could undermine the country's leadership in this field.

Source: Green Queen

⚡️ More buzzes

• 🇯🇵 The Good Food Institute opened a new office in Japan to tap into the country's potential for advancing alt proteins, joining GFI's affiliates in Singapore, India, Israel, Europe, Brazil, and the US. The organization help Japan contribute to developing and scaling alt protein technologies. (Green Queen)

• 🥛 Protoga Biotech is set to launch a lactose and cholesterol-free microalgae-based milk in December. Rich in protein and lutein, it's promoted as a healthier option without sacrificing taste. The Chinese startup uses a closed fermentation system that recycles by-products for plant fertilizer. (vegconomist)

• 🇧🇷 FMC Corporation partnered with Ballagro Agro Tecnologia to bring fungi-based biological solutions to Brazilian farmers. FMC Brazil will license and distribute biological products developed by Ballagro, combining their respective strengths in microbial and fungi-based innovations. (iGrow News)

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GEEK OUT

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New segment: Covers scientific research papers and articles about biotech-enabled agrifood updates to (hopefully) satisfy the geeky cravings of fellow biotech nerds! 🫡

🧬 Engineered quorum sensing-based genetic circuits improved the productivity of industrial E. coli at low pH

Credits: Yan et al.

• Low pH fermentation in industrial processes provides significant benefits like reducing the need for neutralizers and wastewater output, especially in producing amino acids and organic acids.

• The researchers created a quorum-sensing gene circuit that activates acid-resistance genes during exponential growth and deactivates them in stationary phases. This reduces unnecessary energy consumption, enabling E. coli strains to sustain high productivity in acidic conditions.

• The engineered E. coli strain produced 102 g/L of lysine at pH 5.5, with 4% less glucose consumption and 10% lower ammonia usage. This indicates improved production efficiency and sustainability through better resource use and reduced waste.

Source: Microbial Cell Factories

🌱 Plants engineered using synthetic DNA created animal nutrients like creatine

• By using specialized bacteria, scientists transferred DNA instructions for producing specific compounds into plant cells, expanding plants' capabilities to synthesize unfamiliar molecules. This technique was notably used to produce peptides in lettuce that combat bone loss.

• The introduction of synthetic modules, especially in Nicotiana benthamiana, produced creatine (2.3 micrograms per gram) and increased carnosine production by 3.8x by stacking multiple gene modules together.

• The study opens new possibilities for producing complex animal-derived nutrients in plants, potentially transforming plants into bio-factories for sustainable nutrient production.

Source: ScienceDaily

🌾 Rice plants treated using microalgae-based biochar improved seed production

• Treatment with 0.5 mg/mL of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) biochar led to significant improvements in rice seed production, including a 44% increase in the number of seeds per plant and a 53% increase in seed weight per plant.

• The application of biochar encouraged plants to focus energy and resources towards producing seeds rather than root elongation, as seen by increased root dry mass despite a reduction in root length.

• Beyond boosting crop yields, Spirulina-derived biochar offers environmental benefits such as reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and better soil quality through carbon sequestration.

Source: Frontiers

🍌 Researchers developed a banana plant that is resistant to two of the most destructive diseases for bananas

• The new banana variety, Yelloway One, is resistant to two destructive diseases: fusarium TR4 and black sigatoka. These diseases have caused losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years, and until now, no resistant variety was available.

• The breakthrough was achieved by a collaboration between Chiquita, KeyGene, MusaRadix, and Wageningen University & Research. By blending traditional crossbreeding methods with modern DNA analysis, the team accelerated the development of disease-resistant banana varieties.

• Yelloway One is still in the prototype phase, with field trials planned in the Philippines and Indonesia. The broader initiative aims to create more genetically diverse and resilient banana varieties.

Source: Phy.org

💪🏾 Super high-oleic and low-saturated soybeans created using CRISPR gene editing

• The Arabidopsis KASII promoter (AtKASII) enabled over 60% of transgenic soybean lines to undergo successful simultaneous editing of three fatty acid desaturase genes.

• The triple mutants created through the CRISPR/Cas9 system developed improved high-oleic traits, increasing oleic acid content to 87.6% while reducing linoleic and linolenic acid content by 34.4- and 3.7-fold, respectively.

• Importantly, these genetic changes improved oleic acid levels and were also inheritable and stable without negatively impacting the overall oil, protein content, or amino acid profile of the soybean seeds.

Source: ACS Publications

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BIO BUCKS

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🇦🇺 The Queensland government backs Cauldron Ferm in building ‘Asia-Pacific’s largest’ precision fermentation contract manufacturing plant

Credits: Cauldron Ferm

• The Australian company's hyper-fermentation technology offers significant cost and efficiency improvements for large-scale fermentation. The technology can lower production costs by up to 50%, increase output by 20%, and reduce CAPEX by 45%

• The financial support from the Queensland government comes through its Industry Partnership Program, which is aligned with the state's broader strategy to promote new industries in a decarbonizing world.

• With the Mackay facility expected to produce over 1,000 tonnes annually, Cauldron Ferm aims to expand further by developing a global network of industrial facilities.

Source: Green Queen

🌱 AgroSpheres completed a $37M Series B funding round to help bring its proprietary biopesticide solutions to new markets

• AgroSpheres' proprietary AgriCell technology forms a protective layer around active ingredients in biopesticides, helping them withstand environmental pressures. The technology promotes field performance and enables the product to fully biodegrade into harmless organic compounds.

• The company plans to use the new funding to further advance its AgriCell platform. The funds will also support market expansion and investments in bio-manufacturing infrastructure to scale production.

• Lead investor Zebra Impact Ventures sees the AgriCell platform as one of the most important crop protection innovations in decades, potentially leading to broader adoption and opening new market opportunities for biopesticides.

💰 Key investors: Zebra Impact Ventures, Lewis and Clark AgriFood, Ospraie Ag Science Ventures, and more

Source: AgFunder

🇮🇱 Lavie Bio received a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority to advance its ag biological delivery technology

• The patented technology called MicroFermentor enables beneficial bacteria to multiply directly on plants. This reduces application costs, extends shelf life, and increases the bacteria’s viability.

• The grant was awarded after successful early-stage microbe encapsulation and greenhouse validation trials and will help advance the program into its next development phase, aiming for commercialization.

• Lavie Bio plans to incorporate the MicroFermentor technology into its product line and extend it to partners

Source: Lavie Bio

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PODS & POSTS

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💡 Key takeaways from Future Food-Tech 2024 summit in London

• Taste, price, and convenience are non-negotiable, while nutrition and sustainability are important but secondary. Any compromise on taste, price, or ease of access is a no-go.

• There’s a lack of strong incentives for food companies to prioritize nutrition, and metrics for food health are still underdeveloped.

• Communication should focus on the nutritional benefits of healthier foods rather than the technical processes behind them. ”Food shoppers don’t need to know about precision fermentation, just like iPhone buyers don’t need to know about photolithography advances in semiconductor factories.”

Source: Marty Kolewe

🎧 Milk & Honey Ventures’ founder, Beni Nofech, on the state of alt protein investing

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APAC AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION SUMMIT

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🤝 Meet 1000+ global leaders who are accelerating climate-adaptation strategies for food security in Asia

Better Bioeconomy is excited to be a media partner for the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, taking place at Marina Bay Sands on November 19-21!

As the anchor event of Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW), in collaboration with Temasek, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), and Enterprise Singapore (ESG), the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit will bring together over 1000 global leaders to identify the strategic priorities as we build greater capacity, security, and resilience in Asia’s agri-food system.

👀 Use my discount code ‘BIO10’ to save 10%

Register here. See you there! 👋🏾

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BETTER BIOECONOMY EXCLUSIVE

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💬 My conversations with bioeconomy innovators

• Innovation Specialist at The Good Food Institute India, Devika Suresh: Laying the Foundation for Smart Protein Leadership in India

• Biotech consultant and ex-CSO of Vow, James Ryall: Bridging Science and Business to Support Startups Using Biomanufacturing

• Co-founder of Synonym, Joshua Lachter: Financing and Developing Infrastructure for the Bioeconomy

• Founder of Bioshyft, Gerrit Feuerriegel: Connecting Innovators, Investors, and Incumbents to Drive the Bioeconomy

• CMO of Terra Bioindustries, Rebecca Palmer: Turning Agrifood Byproducts Into Nutrient-Rich B2B Ingredients

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That’s a wrap. Thank you for taking the time to read this issue!

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1. Disclaimer: Better Bite Ventures, where I work, is an investor of Umami Bioworks.