String Bio uses gas fermentation to create PRO-DG, an alternative protein ingredient that can be used in aquafeed © Forbes India
India’s String Bio, an biotech company focusing on sustainable manufacturing, announced that its animal nutrition product – PRO-DG – has been successfully tested and validated in Salmon feed by BioMar, a global leader in sustainable aquaculture feeds.
String is one of the world leaders in gas fermentation, scaling up economical and modular fermenters that enable the production of high-quality ingredients from greenhouse gases. PRO-DG is an alternative protein ingredient with optimal nutritional factors, manufactured by the platform. It provides traceability, significantly optimises the use of land and water and provides sustainability to the feed value chain. Key performance and physiological parameters from the trials validated the use of PRO-DG as a feed ingredient in Salmon diets. In previous trials with renowned institutes, PRO-DG has been found to increase feed conversion and growth rates in shrimp, poultry and other species as well.
With the global population set to increase to almost 10 billion people by 2050 and the growing demand for fish as an ideal protein source, the market is facing a potential “protein challenge”. According to the report The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020, the total aquaculture production is expected to expand from 26 million tonnes in 2018 to 109 million tonnes in 2030. Sustainable and traceable fish feeds are thus needed to meet the growing demand while ensuring protection of marine ecosystems and ocean resources. The introduction and large-scale adoption of alternative protein ingredients, like PRO-DG, in aquaculture feed can be central to strengthening global food security and lessening pressure on wild fish stocks and the ocean ecosystem.
Commenting on the successful trial, Dr Ezhil Subbian, co-founder and CEO of String Bio said, “String has been validating the use of PRO-DG across various species in different geographies and varying farm management practices. It’s a great milestone to have the validation studies done by BioMar, an industry leader in the aqua nutrition sector. We look forward to taking the work ahead with them to drive commercial adoption of novel ingredients in aquaculture.”
BioMar paid particular attention to the evaluation of this new unicellular protein, which they have been working on for some time together with String Bio, with the intention of biologically evaluating the product, calculating its value in diets, and trying to help the process of commercial acceleration of this interesting new raw material.
“At BioMar we are constantly seeking innovative raw materials that are aligned with our strategic ambitions to help develop circular and restorative ingredients. The preliminary results of the validation highlight the biological potential of PRO-DG as a protein alternative within our current basket of raw materials to reduce carbon emissions,” says Fernando Norambuena, global category manager – novel raw materials, BioMar.
