Precision fermentation
Harnessing microorganisms as micro-factories to help to feed a global population
Humans have for thousands of years harnessed fermentation to preserve or enhance the flavor, texture or even health-promoting and nutritional value of foods.
Supporting precision fermentation
Today, fermentation might play an important role in the drive to reduce food waste, and could offer a sustainable approach to producing nutritious food for a growing global population.[1] Advances in microbiology, biotechnology and engineering have also opened up opportunities to develop new precision fermentation processes that harness engineered microorganisms as cellular factories for producing defined products, from proteins to pigments, sustainably and at scale.[2]
Here at GEA we think we are uniquely placed to provide key equipment and knowledge that can support R&D and commercial development within the precision fermentation field.
Fermentation is a process by which some types of microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast – and even our own muscles during vigorous exercise – can break down glucose and other carbohydrates to generate energy anaerobically, i.e. without oxygen. The products of fermentation typically include alcohol or lactic acid.
For millennia people have also harnessed microorganisms to produce fermented foods, primarily as a method for preservation, but also to change or create desired tastes, textures and other properties. From beer and wine, to salami, cheese, yoghurt and Kimchi, many fermented products that in the modern world are produced on an industrial scale, are derived from ancient processes.
Miniature factories
But we can also engineer microorganisms, typically yeast cultures, algae, fungi or bacteria, to function as tiny production plants, or cellular factories that produce specific molecules, such as proteins, fats, micronutrients and other organic compounds with desired properties. Using precision fermentation processes these engineered or modified cells are grown in bioreactors, where they are supplied with all the nutrients they need to multiply and stay healthy. The target compounds that they produce may either be released into the surrounding medium, from where they can be isolated, or retained in the cell, in which case the cells can be harvested from the bioreactor and broken apart to release their cargo.
GEA expertise at every stage
GEA offers expertise for the development, configuration and supply of the entire process - upstream and downstream - to support organizations looking to create or scale up precision fermentation processes for food or industrial applications. Our expertise spans the complete process, from bioreactor design and operation, to downstream processing in recovery (cell removal), purification and drying, through to final packaging.
Dedicated new food center of excellence
GEA experts at our New Food Application and Technology Center of Excellence (ATC) are available to partner with you on your precision fermentation journey. We can combine process, application and engineering expertise with digital tools and physical testing in pilot-scale equipment to understand, design, simulate and test the entire process.
In silico modelling and physical tests
Cells propagated in bioreactors will have specific and precise needs – including the supply of nutrients and gases to optimize cell health, growth and productivity, and minimize the production of unwanted byproducts and waste. Whatever your cell type and final product, we can apply our state-of-the-art modelling and simulation tools to help design and fine tune your precision fermentation process virtually, before or after testing out in pilot scale equipment.
These test results can provide a key baseline of conditions that will support the growth, health and productivity of your cell type. From this data we can simulate the likely requirements for scale up to commercial production volumes. It’s our aim to give you confidence in your process and equipment, before you invest. We believe that using our knowhow and technologies we are uniquely placed to generate the insight into cell behavior and bioreactor conditions that will help reduce risk and facilitate efficient, productive scale up.
Whole process expertise
Importantly, GEA expertise spans the whole process, including bioreactor design, configuration, and optimization, but also upstream and downstream stages, GEA specialists at test centers for a range of GEA technologies can work alongside our ATC experts and you, our customer, to design and configure an end-to-end precision fermentation process line.
We can configure systems for mixing, UHT treatment, high pressure homogenization, separation, media and water recovery by filtration, along with concentration, crystallization, drying and filling and packaging. We also offer the expertise and technology knowhow to support how you formulate your product. From grinding and mixing, to processing (forming, coating cooking), or freezing, slicing and packing, our technologies and expertise could help you convert your cells’ products into nutritious, commercially viable foods that could help to secure safe, affordable nutrition that consumers will love.
Supporting more sustainable processing
Of course, because we are GEA, we are also focused on developing components and equipment to help you reduce energy, water and resource use, and to support recycling and waste reduction. Our solutions for more sustainable processing encompass innovative heat pumps, and water and media recovery solutions.Biomass fermentation, cultivated meats, and precision fermentation
Precision fermentation isn’t the same as biomass fermentation, which may afford other opportunities to harness cell biology for creating food. Through biomass fermentation scientists can cultivate edible microorganisms, such as fungi, bacteria or yeasts as a food source.[3] Alternatively, animal-derived muscle, fat and other cells can be grown at scale as a source of protein and other nutrition that doesn’t rely on traditional agriculture. Some ‘cultivated meats’ produced in this way have now been approved for sale in various markets around the world. [4]
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Products & technologies
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GEA Axenic® M for Microbial processes
The GEA Axenic® M product line is an industrial-scale bioreactor system that has been designed specifically for cultivation and precision fermentation in the food industry.
GEA Axenic® P for Pilot Processes
GEA Axenic® P is a flexible pilot-scale bioreactor designed to help you scale up cell cultivation and precision fermentation processes for a wide range of new food application.
GEA New Food Application & Technology Center of Excellence
A cell cultivation and fermentation pilot line to fast-track innovations from the lab to commercial-scale manufacturing.
GEA Virtual Bioreactor Testing
GEA has combined the latest computational fluid dynamics tools and kinetic models with advanced computing power to generate a technology that can digitally mirror just about any bioreactor environment, from lab bench to industrial scale.
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The next era of food production with GEA NEXUS
Climate change and a growing world population put increased pressure on the energy-intensive food industry to feed more people without further impacting the planet. George Shepherd, GEA’s Global Technical Sustainability Manager, explains how GEA uses its engineering know-how to help processors produce more sustainably yet increase productivity.
