Chinese yeast manufacturer Angel Yeast has announced a new initiative that connects universities and enterprises in a consortium to advance synthetic biology technology for yeast production.
The initiative also supports the Xiaoting Synthetic Biology Industrial Park in Yichang, Hubei Province, as part of a CNY50bn ($6.89bn) industry cluster to be developed by 2035.
The project aims to establish an integrated industry chain, starting with yeast production and expanding it through fermentation of raw materials, and bio-manufacturing.
According to Angel Yeast, synthetic biology makes each cell a super factory that can continuously produce specific substances after targeted modification.
Synthetic biology is widely used in the manufacturing of food, medicine, biochemicals, new materials and more, and is currently one of the most applicable microbial cell factory platforms.
The company unveiled the Xiaoting Synthetic Biology Industrial Park last year, and founded the consortium in May this year, to advance synthetic biology and its development.
The yeast extract production of the project requires more than 100kg of enzymes per day, supplied by Angel Yeast’s enzyme preparation operations.
The first phase of the project is currently in production to produce vitamin K2, pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt, phosphatidylserine, and other products.
Angel Yeast has an advanced green production base that achieved high levels of automation, intelligent and digital operation, with extensive production capacity.
Its green recycling and circular production model are contributing to sustainable development.
The company’s intelligent factory features smart AGV lift trucks, and coupled with 13 robots, four production lines have fully realized automated manufacturing.
Last year, Angel Yeast’s Yichang factory produced 40,000 tons of yeast products, worth CNY1bn ($137.9m), and achieved an output worth CNY508m ($70.05m) in the first half of 2024.
Furthermore, Hubei PHAngel Biotechnology, a joint venture by Angel Yeast and Beijing PhaBuilder, is building a PHA production line with a total investment of CNY1.05bn ($144.79m).
Angel Yeast research institute dean Zhang Yan said: “The consortium will focus on tackling the bottlenecks of core technologies, advancing the development of bio-based materials, pharmaceutical intermediates, biomass sugar and more following market-oriented operation strategies.”
