Planetary and Konica Minolta propel fermentation and food bioprocessing with AI

15 Jan 2024 --- Planetary, a Geneva-based biotechnology firm, has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with Konica Minolta, a Japanese multinational technology company specializing in imaging technology. The collaboration will develop and implement sensing technologies, AI and data-driven solutions for optimizing the control of fermentation processes in real time. 

Widely touted as a vehicle for sustainable food production, precision fermentation has accelerated considerably in the last few years, with notable industry advancements including “dairy-identical” cheese made without the cow alongside new flavor solutions.

Planetary provides industrial-scale fermentation capacity and bioprocessing intellectual property. 

The strategic partnership aims to harness sensing solutions, AI algorithms and bioprocess data to identify anomalies, manage growth parameters and enhance productivity, all while minimizing lost production batches.

David Brandes, CEO of Planetary, tells Food Ingredients First: “Planetary’s proprietary BioBlocks (TM) platform is delivering innovation in microbial bioprocessing from upstream to downstream. Along the value chain, we are actively identifying and developing strategies to drive down cost in unit economics, as well as improving quality attributes of the final products.” 

“Examples are productivity improvement programs, feedstock development, equipment-level innovation and smart facility design. These strategies apply to a wide range of applications from mycelial biomass fermentation to precision fermentation for the production of specialty proteins, fats and other compounds in the foods and materials.”

Advancements to enhanced efficiency
Despite the transformative potential of microbial fermentation in various industries, the monitoring and control of these processes have been largely left unchanged in recent years.

“Novel solutions can help to bring production cost down by up to 30% and come closer and closer to price parity,” Brandes shares.

Konica Minolta, the Tokyo-based company, is aiming to introduce fermentation sensing technologies and associated AI as part of the ongoing digital transformation in Asia.

By partnering with Konica Minolta, Planetary envisions bringing their innovative technologies to bioproduct manufacturers worldwide.

“Planetary and Konica Minolta are working together to develop and implement bioprocess efficiency improvement solutions. With Konica Minolt’s optics and sensing expertise, and Planetary’s bioprocess knowhow, our two parties are positioned to bring advancements to this space.”

“These solutions, along with advancements in strain engineering, bioprocess innovations on Planetary’s BioBlocks (TM) platform, and strategically designed and located production facilities, will enable market readiness for the bioeconomy.”

David Brandes, CEO of Planetary.A shift from traditional production systems
Brandes claims that traditional food and material production systems are being disrupted by fermentation-based biomanufacturing. These changes start with high-value items and are progressively extending to encompass commoditized products.

“Currently, in the bio-based industry, and specifically in the area of commodity products and compounds, costs of goods sold are still a margin away from price parity with traditional animal and fossil-based production systems,” he explains.

Fermentation technologies for food production have attracted significant attention from financiers, with Israel recently revealing plans to expand its own local sector with a US$13.8 million investment.

“Fermentation allows for the production of nutrition almost anywhere in the globe based on locally available feedstock and waste streams,” says Brandes. “A network of regional production facilities, integrated into the local socio-economic fabric, has the power to reduce supply dependencies and food scarcity.” 

“The same is true for systemically relevant materials. Not only will the availability of those foods and materials secure livelihoods, the shift to a ‘bioeconomy’ will also have a healing effect on global carbon emissions, water use, and habitat destruction,” he concludes.

By Sichong Wang