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 – consists of 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 yr.
Senara’s strategy is to supply 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 a substitute of sourcing cells from the cow to recreate its milk, the start-up has developed a technique of sourcing cells from the milk itself.
“We don’t intervene straight with the animals, which I feel is a way more elegant resolution,” Dr Dannewitz defined.
Senara has additionally developed a variety course of to pick the cells most effective at producing milk. From there, it’s about offering the suitable surroundings, temperature, and vitamins for the cells to duplicate and develop, Dr Dannewitz instructed FoodNavigator.
Not like other forms of cell cultivation processes, for instance these used to make cultured meat, Senara doesn’t should separate its protein from biomass. As a substitute, 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 price environment friendly in manufacturing in comparison with cultivated meat. Which implies with our know-how, we will actually deal with the mass marketplace for animal milk.”
As to the ultimate purification course of, the founder defined they should adhere to common meals security tips. 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 solution to produce a full milk with out having to make use of extreme purification steps afterwards.”
‘The purest type of recent milk you possibly can have’
That is how Senara cultivates cells for many animals. However for some, sourcing cells straight 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. But it surely’s a small needle, she pressured.
Senara is working with cow’s milk, however can be screening cells from different milks to check their efficiencies. “We’ve bought 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 possibly can have.”
There’s additionally scope to additional differentiate Senara’s milk by growing merchandise with increased 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 ‘various kinds 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 would not have to resort to genetic modifying to realize these targets.”
Senara’s CEO stated she needs everybody to have entry to recent milk, even these with intolerances. “What we produce is a regular milk, or milk that’s wealthy in A2 protein. This enables a a lot wider vary of individuals to digest milk.
“We’ve additionally bought a lactose-free choice that we will produce straight 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 gear: the start-up has developed a customized bioreactor for the aim of cultivated dairy cells.
Present bioreactors in the marketplace are largely used for cultivating micro organism or yeast cells, which have totally different necessities in comparison with animal cells. Senara’s strategy 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 largest challenges for biotech start-ups, for Senara, having customised bioreactor gear is one in every of its ‘most important benefits’. Others battle 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 ignored one of these step,” the founder revealed. Senara is at the moment 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 supply ingesting 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 trade’ who’re excited about 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 endure regulatory approval. Timing is working in its favour, the CEO advised.
“A number 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 the direction of extra cell cultivated meals within the subsequent couple of years, and by 2028 believes cell cultivated milk can be a regular choice on grocery store cabinets.
