Synthetic Biology for Precision Fermentation of the Functional Food Ingredient Tagatose

Purpose and goal:

The driving force for this project is to provide healthy food ingredients using yeast precision fermentation, thereby contributing to improved well-being of our society. In this specific project, we aim to develop new synthetic biology tools to engineer a yeast cell factory for optimized production of the functional ingredient tagatose. Additionally, using cheese whey as a low-cost substrate, we strive to achieve a sustainable, circular and economically viable production process.

Expected results and effects:

Whey has a low economic value and is one of the most polluting by-products of the food industry due to its high concentration of lactose. We will turn this waste problem into a solution, by using whey as the starting material for bioproduction. This project will result in new synthetic biology tools and an engineered yeast strain that can convert lactose into tagatose, enabling a scalable and sustainable precision fermentation process for tagatose production.

Approach and implementation:

We will use a natural lactose-converting yeast species, not previously explored for commercialization and industrial use. By developing advanced synthetic biology tools for this yeast, we will vastly enhance our strain engineering capacity and facilitate a streamlined strain development pipeline. Using these synthetic biology tools, we will thereafter develop a strain that can convert lactose in whey into tagatose and test the strain performance in bioreactors.