Having been working in stealth mode for the final year-and-a-half, Senara claims to be the primary cultivated milk firm in Europe. The beginning-up is concentrating on the animal milk market in a bid to not solely make milk extra sustainable, however digestible for all – contains these with allergic reactions.
Sourcing cells from milk, not tissue
In typical EU diets, milk alone accounts for one-quarter of the carbon footprint, generally reaching as excessive as one-third. And globally, the UN FAO estimates that international dairy manufacturing accounts for round 4% of complete anthropogenic greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions.
Senara will not be the one cultivated milk firm in Europe: Nūmi, which is cell cultivating human milk for toddler diet, was based in Paris final 12 months.
Senara’s method is to provide milk outdoors of cows and different dairy-producing animals.
From the outset, founder and CEO Dr Svenja Dannewitz wished to arrange a sustainable, round course of that had minimal interactions with the animals themselves. As an alternative of sourcing cells from the cow to recreate its milk, the start-up has developed a strategy of sourcing cells from the milk itself.
“We don’t intrude immediately with the animals, which I believe is a way more elegant resolution,” Dr Dannewitz defined.
Senara has additionally developed a variety course of to pick out the cells most effective at producing milk. From there, it’s about offering the best setting, temperature, and vitamins for the cells to duplicate and develop, Dr Dannewitz advised FoodNavigator.
In contrast to other forms of cell cultivation processes, for instance these used to make cultured meat, Senara doesn’t must separate its protein from biomass. As an alternative, the corporate solely takes what the cells secretes: milk. This makes the method extra power environment friendly and sustainable, and permits for a steady cultivation course of.
Though the know-how used will not be precision fermentation, it’s related in that the cell secretion turns into the ultimate product. “This makes it extra value environment friendly in manufacturing in comparison with cultivated meat. Which suggests with our know-how, we are able to actually sort out the mass marketplace for animal milk.”
As to the ultimate purification course of, the founder defined they should adhere to common meals security pointers. However in comparison with typical milk, a lot much less cooling is required as a result of it’s free from micro organism and yeast. “We now have discovered a technique to produce a full milk with out having to make use of extreme purification steps afterwards.”
‘The purest type of recent milk you may have’
That is how Senara cultivates cells for many animals. However for some, sourcing cells immediately from their milk is extra of a problem. “For some kinds of animals, it’s not preferable to take the cells from the milk. Milking a buffalo is just about unimaginable, if you wish to come out alive,” she solely half-joked.
On this case, resorting to tissue biopsies is the one means. Nevertheless it’s a small needle, she pressured.
Senara is working with cow’s milk, however can also be screening cells from different milks to check their efficiencies. “We’ve obtained buffalo cells, bison, donkey, in addition to goat and sheep. We wish to produce a full vary of animal milks.”
The ambition is to utterly mimic the dietary advantages of typical milk, however with none micro organism or antibiotic residue. “The milk is the purest type of recent milk you may have.”
There may be additionally scope to additional differentiate Senara’s milk by creating merchandise with larger qualities of A2 protein, or making the milk lactose-free. As to how the start-up would develop these varieties, Dr Dannewitz stated there are ‘many levers that may be pulled’.
Hesitant to disclose an excessive amount of, she stated the corporate sources ‘several types of cells’, makes use of customised FCS-free cell media, and has a screening course of in place. “The milk that we produce is GMO free, so we do not need to resort to genetic enhancing to attain these targets.”
Senara’s CEO stated she needs everybody to have entry to recent milk, even these with intolerances. “What we produce is a normal milk, or milk that’s wealthy in A2 protein. This permits a a lot wider vary of individuals to digest milk.
“We’ve additionally obtained a lactose-free choice that we are able to produce immediately in our bioreactors, with out having so as to add further enzymes afterwards.”
This might show useful to Asian markets, the place it’s estimated round 90% of customers are lactose illiberal.
Scaling up utilizing customized bioreactors
One other means Senara units itself aside is thru its tools: the start-up has developed a customized bioreactor for the aim of cultivated dairy cells.
Present bioreactors available on the market are largely used for cultivating micro organism or yeast cells, which have completely different necessities in comparison with animal cells. Senara’s method is to develop a system that optimises the expansion and lifespan of the first cells. A patent for the know-how has been submitted.
Though scaling up bioprocesses is thought to be amongst the most important challenges for biotech start-ups, for Senara, having customised bioreactor tools is one in every of its ‘principal benefits’. Others wrestle to maneuver from a microlitre to millilitre scale, after which proceed to scale up, Dr Dannewitz defined. However Senara designed its processes ‘with upscaling in thoughts’.
“We’ve examined it and have already passed over any such step,” the founder revealed. Senara is at present working with a 100L pilot-scale bioreactor. Upscaling is predicted to be ‘simpler’, provided that the corporate is already working at pilot scale.
As soon as at scale, Senara needs to provide consuming milk, in addition to milk for yogurt and cream manufacturing. It may be utilized in ice cream and chocolate confectioneries. The beginning-up is already in discussions with ‘a number of gamers from the business’ who’re involved in establishing a novel product like that produced by Senara of their product strains.
Senara is backed by Positron Ventures, PurpleOrange Ventures, Companions in Clime, Black Forest Enterprise Angels, and SquareOne Meals.
Earlier than it may be stacked within the dairy aisle, or integrated into confectionery merchandise, Senara’s cell cultivated milk must bear regulatory approval. Timing is working in its favour, the CEO instructed.
“Loads of governments have been pushing to take this ahead, together with within the EU. They know they are going to be lacking out if they aren’t extra proactive.”
Senara expects a transition in direction of extra cell cultivated meals within the subsequent couple of years, and by 2028 believes cell cultivated milk will probably be a normal choice on grocery store cabinets.
