Vivici—a startup producing the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) via precision fermentation—has integrated novel tech from Danish startup Enduro Genetics into its production strain, enabling a dramatic increase in titers and yields, two key metrics in biomanufacturing.
Titers measure the concentration of the product (how much is made per volume), while yield measures the efficiency of conversion (how much product is made per unit of feedstock).
“Within five months—from tech transfer to full bioreactor validation— Enduro Sense delivered a 30% increase in production titers and yields, all within the existing process setup and using the same amount of feedstock,” claimed Enduro Genetics.
“Enduro Sense allows an immediate step-change improvement in performance and by providing enhanced strain stability through the duration of the bioprocess it positions us to pursue even deeper cost optimization through draw-and-fill and continuous fermentation,” said Vivici CTO Marcel Wubbolts.
“The change is more than incremental, and it provides a step up in performance and economics.”
Why it matters
A spinout from the Technical University of Denmark, Enduro Genetics addresses a fundamental problem in biomanufacturing—declining production at scale and poor yields—says CEO Christian Munch.
“In a traditional process, every cell in the production culture is genetically identical—yet only 15–20% naturally become high‑producers.” The rest of the cells, he says, are essentially freeloaders, consuming valuable feedstocks without making anything useful, which can make the unit economics of the whole enterprise challenging.
With a “one-time genetic plug-in, Enduro Sense flips this imbalance” by tricking cells into thinking that they have to produce a target substance—in this case BLG—in order to survive. This is achieved by linking the expression of essential genes, which are critical for the survival of an organism, and high-production of the target substance in a cell.
This means that only high-producing cells proliferate in the bioreactor, enabling firms to sustain bioproduction over longer time periods, dramatically improving unit economics, Munch told AgFunderNews.
“Our technology is one of the solutions that can help unlock the biomanufacturing industry from just being focused on specialty niche products to more everyday products.”
By making existing biomanufacturing capacity more productive, clients can potentially avoid capex they had planned to spend on additional or larger bioreactors, claims the firm, which raised a €12 million ($12.4 million) Series A round last year.
Plugin does not interfere with production pathway or introduce foreign DNA
Implementing Enduro Sense into a production strain requires no changes to the media or production process, said Munch. “We don’t introduce any foreign DNA and we don’t tamper with the production pathway.”
Asked if adding Enduro’s genetic biosensors to Vivici’s production strain would create regulatory issues, he said: “No, it should not. Incorporating strain improvements into existing regulatory approvals and ongoing applications is part and parcel for any company making fermentation-derived food ingredients.”
According to Munch at Enduro Genetics: “Our customers decide the best path forward in the context of their market, product and regulatory framework. With that said, Enduro Sense has some traits that map it to the lowest-burden pathway under FDA GRAS and EFSA QPS [qualified presumption of safety] frameworks.”
Notably, he said, Enduro Sense plugins are made using the cell’s native DNA, and do not introduce foreign DNA. Likewise, the Enduro Sense plugin does not interfere with the product pathway and does not affect the structure or function of the product being made.
Finally, he added, any Enduro Sense plugin is “always well characterized and identifiably and precisely integrated into the cells’ chromosome and this is part of the documentation we deliver.”
The firm, which has initially focused on microbial cells, has also adapted the tech to work on mammalian cells, opening up valuable new opportunities in biopharma, he revealed. “We think that ultimately every bioprocess out there deserves to have Enduro Sense as part of it.”
Vivici ‘leapfrogging a lot of the field’
Formed by Fonterra and DSM-Firmenich in December 2022, Vivici has been able to move rapidly by leveraging its founders’ expertise in dairy proteins and industrial-scale biomanufacturing.
“We entered the scene as the new kid on the block, and since then, we’ve leapfrogged a lot of the field and catapulted ourselves to the front,” claimed CEO Stephan van Sint Fiet early last year. “We have a very strong technology base, a deep understanding of ingredient applications and marketing, and a team with a track record of bringing innovations to market.”
Vivici, which has European partners able to produce at industrial scale, has struck a deal with Liberation Bioindustries to produce BLG in Indiana, and has also partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to explore an industrial-scale facility for alt protein production in the UAE.
The startup, which raised a $34 million Series A round last year, recently secured self-GRAS status for lactoferrin, the second ingredient in its portfolio.
Watch our interview with Christian Munch at SynBioBeta last year:
Further reading:
Standing Ovation nets $34m, gears up for US launch of casein via precision fermentation
🎥 21st Bio on strains, scale, and the valley of death: Fixing precision fermentation’s weak links
DeNovo Foodlabs and EFFV create JV to scale lactoferrin via precision fermentation
