Subscribe to the newsletter:
Follow us while we explore the possibilities biotechnology can bring to our lives and the innovators making an impact in the industry in a series of 5 blogs.
At first, biotechnology may seem like a complicated term to grasp. However, humans have been using biological processes for more than 6 thousand years, especially to make food. Cheese, bread, dairy, all of these are the results of a microorganism’s biological process. Modern biotechnology is simply harnessing the power of these microorganisms’ cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products.
But how can this apply to food? The main goal is to improve quality and safety. By using biotechnology, scientists can, for example, produce “green” antioxidants and preservatives, make the food processing more effective, reduce food loss, and reduce environmental pollution.
Several startups are working with this and exploring the possibilities food biotechnology brings. Kyanos, for example, believes microalgae can end world hunger. They have developed a microalgae production process that claims to be able to deliver the next generation of vegetal protein.
Carbexplore is another example. They are a research company that works to enable the manufacture of functional food. One of their projects is to develop goat milk that can have the same properties as human milk, making it more beneficial for newborns. They are also developing replacements for fat and other potentially health-damaging ingredients. These new products aim to contribute to improved health and healthy aging.
Applications
There are three main ways in which food can be modified by biotechnology. Genetic engineering, cell engineering, and enzymes. Genetic engineering is the recombination of DNA. It can be used to improve the raw materials of food processing and the performance of food microorganisms and to produce active ingredients of health-care food.
Cell engineering can produce health-care food ingredients, new food, and food additives. Enzymes, on the other hand, can be applied to the transformation of substances in the food production process. They are already widely applied in the production of fruit juice, fruit and vegetable, instant tea, and in soy sauce brewing and winemaking.
The opportunity
If you are working with food biotechnology, or know a startup or innovator working with this, then be sure to let them know about this opportunity to be part of a validation lab.
YES!Delft, Biotech Campus Delft, and its main stakeholder Royal DSM, are looking for innovative startups, solutions or ideas within the biotechnology sector that are working on creating the future of a circular bio-based economy. They are offering a validation lab for biotechnology startups, especially those working with enzymes and food.
Read our first blog about biomaterials here.