TurtleTree, a biotechnology startup utilizing precision fermentation to create bioactive substances comparable to animal-free milk proteins, has introduced it would debut its precision-fermentation derived lactoferrin, which has the business identify of LF+, tonight at a tasting occasion in San Francisco.
The bioactive milk protein, which the corporate says is nicknamed “pink gold” as a consequence of its high-cost and pink hue, is far wanted for its well being advantages, together with immunity, iron regulation, and digestive well being assist. Nevertheless, typical extraction strategies require large quantities of cow’s milk – as much as 10,000 liters, the equal of every week’s price of milk manufacturing from almost 50 cows – to acquire simply 1 kilogram of purified lactoferrin. Due to this, historically derived lactoferrin prices anyplace between $700 to $1,500 per kilogram, which has been a gating issue within the broader adoption of this beneficial protein.
By utilizing precision fermentation, which makes use of microbes embedded with lactoferrin’s recipe to provide the protein, TurtleTree hopes to supply a extra reasonably priced and sustainably-derived type of lactoferrin to the market in LF+. If they’re profitable, the corporate could also be one of many first startups launched lately to focus on proteins for infants (and past) utilizing mobile agriculture to convey a scaled, revenue-generating product line to market. Extra broadly, the corporate might have additionally engineered an strategy to make lactoferrin extra extensively out there to shoppers by way of quite a lot of merchandise.
The transfer in direction of precision fermentation to provide useful proteins is an indication the corporate has advanced because it was based in 2019. When The Spoon first interviewed the corporate, they centered totally on utilizing cell-cultivation strategies to provide breast milk analogs. Based on CTO Max Rye on the time, the corporate was utilizing cell-cultivation strategies to develop mammary gland cells in a lab that will lactate milk. Firm CEO Fengru Lin speculated early on that their first product can be human breast milk.
Quick ahead to 2023, and the corporate has grow to be extra diversified in its strategy to using mobile agriculture strategies after bringing on some key hires expert within the utility of precision fermentation, a transfer that appears to have accelerated its path towards income with the commercialization of its animal-free lactoferrin. The corporate hopes to launch LF+ within the fourth quarter of this yr.
You may watch the TurtleTree hero reel on their new product under:
