Traditional fermentation and precision fermentation with genetically engineered microbes

Australia generates a whopping 7.6 million tonnes of agrifood waste annually.  At the same time, there is increasing consumer demand for environmentally-friendly and ethical food with superior functionalities.

We develop microbial systems that complement manufacturing in the food industry. We support food technology start-ups and food companies to make economically viable and safe precision fermentation-derived proteins and other healthy fermented products.

The challenge with agrifood by-products

Agrifood by-products are a loss of valuable resources and are posing financial and environmental pressures in the agrifood sector and their communities.   

Innovation in agrifood manufacturing can maximise value creation and reduce environmental footprints while balancing cost pressures and requirements for safety and quality. 

How can we improve the cost-effectiveness of precision fermentation?

• synthetic biology, for example the SuperPichia platform engineers food safe, high-performing chassis strains, microbial consortium engineering to increase efficiency
• innovative bioprocessing systems, for example continuous processing can increase efficiency, static mixer technology reduces energy use 
• AI techniques such as machine learning and advanced sensing technology, for example bioreactor digital-twins can accelerate process development. 

How can we contribute to environmental sustainability with microbial systems in a circular bioeconomy?

• conversion of agrifood waste into fermentation feedstocks, for example by converting grape marc or BSG 
• valorisation of microbial systems by-products , for example by exploring and fractionating nutritional components in spent supernatant and/or spent cells 
• developing LCA and TEA capabilities to evaluate microbial processes and scenarios.   

How can we produce novel and value-added food and feed ingredients with high industry-demand through microbial systems?

• microbial fermentation can produce novel functional foods, including low or no alcohol wine, sugar-reduced beverages via conversion to exopolysaccharides, GABA from lactic acid bacteria
• using genome scale metabolic modelling (GEM) to design enhanced microbial systems, for example consortia to ferment plant-based cheese and achieve superior flavour
• synthetic biology and precision fermentation can produce ingredients with high industry demand, such as recombinant dairy and meat proteins and lipids, recombinant sweet proteins
• we can develop microbial proteins and mycoproteins as a complementary protein ingredient for food and feed applications.

Find out more about our work in fermentation

For more information on our research in fermentation