Novonesis and 21st.Bio to scale cow-free, precision-fermented alpha-lactalbumin

Technology partner 21st.Bio has launched a new development program for animal-free bovine alpha-lactalbumin (α-lac) made using precision fermentation with an exclusive license for the high-yield microbial strain from biosolutions specialist Novonesis. 

21st.Bio is optimizing the Novonesis-developed strain for industrial fermentation, scale-up, and commercialization. The partners will aid global companies in introducing precision-fermented α-lac to market, with ambitions for the ingredient to be cost-competitive with its bovine counterpart.

As a highly functional milk protein, bovine α-lac is rich in essential amino acids. Easy to digest and linked to immune and cognitive development benefits, the ingredient is currently used in infant nutrition, functional food, and health-focused applications.

Producing α-lac from bovine milk is costly and inefficient, making it one of the most expensive dairy proteins on the market, the partners highlight. For context, about a thousand liters of milk must be fractionated to obtain a kilogram of α-lac.

“Alpha-lactalbumin is incredibly valuable, but current supply from cow’s milk is limited. It is challenging and costly to extract at scale, which is why current supply is mostly reserved for the very high-end infant formula market,” says Thomas Schmidt, CEO of 21st.Bio.

“Through precision fermentation, we make production more efficient, sustainable, and — most importantly — available to many, not just the few. On top of this, we are able to produce α-lac of high purity, an important parameter for infant nutrition.”

Industry partnerships in the pipeline

21st.Bio collaborates with a diverse range of customers, including dairy, food and beverage companies, and food-tech start-ups, guiding them through the comprehensive, phased development program.

Precision fermentation helps alpha-lactalbumin overcome traditional price and sustainability hurdles, while removing cows from the equation.This program provides customers with access to production-ready microbial strains, offers tailored fermentation and downstream process development, and includes pilot and large-scale scale-up support. Additionally, 21st.Bio provides regulatory advisory and a royalty-based licensing model upon commercialization.

“We go beyond licensing our technology to our partners,” says Schmidt. “We help them through the entire process of industrial-scale production.”

“Our experience in functional proteins and our goal of achieving at least price parity with traditional dairy makes this a game-changer for companies looking to supply the market.”

Impending protein supply gap 

21st.Bio warns that global demand for dairy proteins will likely outpace supply by 2030, with milk production slowing in many global regions. Feedback from its industry partners underscores issues weighing down production: aging dairy farmer populations, limited scalability, and growing pressure to reduce emissions.

“We’re heading for a protein supply gap,” stresses Schmidt. “The industry itself is telling us: We won’t be able to meet future demand using traditional methods alone.”

“Precision fermentation is a complementary solution — one that can reduce pressure on natural resources, lower environmental impact, and create a more distributed and resilient supply chain.”

Precision fermentation presents several viable use cases — from cow-free cheese, to human breast milk fat used in infant formula, and vegan eggs with typical cooking properties.

French biotech company Verley currently leverages this technology to produce dairy proteins designed to be more stable than milk proteins and richer in essential nutrients than plant proteins, while improving processing performance and digestibility.

Meanwhile, bioengineers in Japan have successfully manipulated yeast cells to produce a molecule used in herbal medicine, enabling it to be created at scale inside a fermenter.

“We are proud to see our world-class strain being brought to market to solve current challenges in food and nutrition by 21st.Bio,” says Thomas Batchelor, SVP of Advanced Health and Protein Solutions at Novonesis.

“We continually strive to be at the forefront of innovation and this strain is one result of our pioneering work in R&D, strain development, and production. We see α-lac as a great fit to 21st.Bio’s strategy and portfolio, making it the right path forward, while we in Novonesis continue to focus on other protein innovation. We’re excited about the future of protein made with precision fermentation.”