ScaleUp Bio backs precision fermentation with R&D to drive innovation in Singapore

27 Mar 2024 --- ScaleUp Bio, a contract development and manufacturing organization based in Singapore, has announced strategic customer partnerships with start-ups Allozymes and Algrow Biosciences, alongside Letters of Intent (LOI) with Canada’s Terra Bioindustries and the UK’s Argento Labs to foster innovation in fermentation.

“ScaleUp Bio has scaled quickly and announced our first round of customer partners before the opening of our R&D facility. We add to that roster and with others currently in our pipeline, we look forward to enabling and empowering these dynamic food innovators from around the world to realize their ambitions,” says Francisco Codoñer, CEO of ScaleUp Bio.

“With the support of our parent companies, global nutrition leader ADM and Singapore’s own global investment giant Temasek and its Nurasa unit, we are beginning to deliver on our promise to fulfill a critical need for firms seeking to innovate through precision fermentation.”

Driving innovation in Singapore
By catalyzing innovation and providing a conducive environment for growth, ScaleUp Bio is contributing to the global innovative food system and advancing Singapore’s status as a hub for food technology, as affirmed by the Trade and Industry Minister, calling the country “the best place in the world for food innovation.”

“Singapore’s unique culture, where government, science, the academe, business and civil society work collaboratively, ensures customer-partners can ideate and innovate, supported by an ecosystem of top-tier talent and resources,” Codoñer highlights.

The Fermentation Joint Lab, developed in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, represents its effort in submerged microbial and precision fermentation research and innovation. Equipped with advanced technology, including a 100-liter bioreactor, the lab facilitates scale-up opportunities for companies aiming to commercialize fermentation-based products.

As products reach commercial viability, ScaleUp Bio’s pilot-scale manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore, offers up to 10,000 liters of fermentation capacity. This facility is among the few globally that support pilot-stage manufacturing, ensuring quality control, safe production standards and comprehensive business advisory services, including Asia market entry support.

Through a commercial-centric value chain, ScaleUp Bio is aiding in the development of ingredients by utilizing precision fermentation.Collaborative innovations
ScaleUp Bio’s collaborations with Allozymes and Algrow Biosciences are poised to leverage microbial and precision fermentation technology for food sustainability. Allozymes, recognized for its enzymatic solutions, can harness ScaleUp Bio’s Fermentation Joint Lab facilities to expedite the development of enzyme-based products. 

“We’re leveraging new technology and expertise to accelerate breakthroughs in enzyme engineering and fermentation science. This collaboration amplifies our ability to deliver cleaner, more efficient processes toward our goal,” says Peyman Salehian, CEO and co-founder of Allozymes.

Algrow Biosciences, in its partnership with ScaleUp Bio, has already embarked on producing clean, high-purity protein pigment from algae at a pre-commercial scale. Through ScaleUp Bio’s new facilities and expert support, Algrow aims to introduce ingredients that contribute to a more sustainable and nutritious food system, emphasizing the benefits of microalgae.

“This collaboration has been instrumental in our journey, leveraging ScaleUp Bio’s expertise in fermentation and bioprocessing to optimize our production processes. Their team’s deep knowledge and facilities have been enabling us to achieve promising results and pave the way for commercial-scale manufacturing,” says Sudhir Kumar Pasupuleti, CEO and co-founder of Algrow Biosciences.

Expanding global reach
ScaleUp Bio’s engagement with Terra Bioindustries and Argento Labs through LOIs marks an extension of its global reach, highlighting the company’s lab-to-market value proposition and its role in food sustainability and innovation. 

Terra Bioindustries focuses on upcycling agri-food by-products, and Argento Labs specializes in leveraging biotechnologies for product creation.

The signing of an LOI with ScaleUp Bio is an initial step for prospective customers, allowing them to reserve essential time blocks in ScaleUp Bio’s laboratories or pilot-production facilities.

“This collaboration will enable us to develop samples for prospective clients, refine our design and engineering, ultimately enhancing efficiency and lowering production costs,” says Agustin Llamas, founder & COO of Argento Labs.

Edited by Sichong Wang