Copenhagen, Denmark, and Davis, California, 10 July 2025 – 21st.BIO, a leading technology partner in precision fermentation, today announced the launch of a new development program for bovine alpha-lactalbumin (α-lac) after exclusively licensing the high-yield microbial strain from Novonesis – the global leader in biosolutions.  

From breakthrough strain to global access

Alpha-lactalbumin is a highly functional milk protein rich in essential amino acids. It is easy to digest and is linked to immune and cognitive development benefits. Bovine α-lac is currently used in infant nutrition, functional food, and health-focused applications. 21st.BIO is optimizing the Novonesis-developed strain for industrial fermentation, scale-up, and commercialization – enabling companies around the world to bring precision fermented α-lac to market, and with the ambition to be cost-competitive with its bovine counterpart.

Today, producing α-lac from bovine milk is costly and inefficient, making it one of the most expensive dairy proteins on the market. About a thousand liters of milk must be fractionated to obtain a kilogram of α-lac. 

“Alpha-lactalbumin is incredibly valuable, but current supply from cow’s milk is limited. It is challenging and costly to extract at scale, which is why current supply is mostly reserved for the very high-end infant formula market,” said Thomas Schmidt, CEO of 21st.BIO. “Through precision fermentation, we make production more efficient, sustainable, and – most importantly – available to many, not just the few. On top of this, we are able to produce α-lac of high purity, an important parameter for infant nutrition.”

Democratizing access to advanced biomanufacturing

With this program, 21st.BIO offers an animal-free, scalable, and cost-effective way to produce α-lac – using precision fermentation and a best-in-class strain from Novonesis.

“We are proud to see our world-class strain being brought to market to solve current challenges in food and nutrition by 21st.BIO,” said Thomas Batchelor, Senior Vice President of Advanced Health and Protein Solutions at Novonesis. “We continually strive to be at the forefront of innovation and this strain is one result of our pioneering work in R&D, strain development and production. We see α-lac as a great fit to 21st.BIO’s strategy and portfolio, making it the right path forward while we in Novonesis continue to focus on other protein innovation and we’re excited about the future of protein made with precision fermentation.” 

21st.BIO works with customers – from dairy, food, and beverage companies to foodtech start-ups – through a phased development program that includes:

• Access to production-ready microbial strains
• Tailored fermentation and downstream process development
• Pilot and large-scale scale-up support
• Regulatory advisory
• Royalty-based licensing upon commercialization

“We go beyond licensing our technology to our partners,” said Thomas Schmidt. “We help them through the entire process of industrial-scale production. Our experience in functional proteins and our goal of achieving at least price parity with traditional dairy makes this a game-changer for companies looking to supply the market.”

Addressing a growing global need for dairy proteins

Global demand for dairy proteins is expected by many insiders to outpace supply by 2030, as milk production slows in many parts of the world. Feedback from industry partners points to a clear need: aging dairy farmer populations, limited scalability, and growing pressure to reduce emissions are challenging the status quo.

Thomas Schmidt explains: “We’re heading for a protein supply gap. The industry itself is telling us: We won’t be able to meet future demand using traditional methods alone. Precision fermentation is a complementary solution – one that can reduce pressure on natural resources, lower environmental impact, and create a more distributed and resilient supply chain.”

With the launch of its alpha-lactalbumin program, 21st.BIO is helping bring this unique protein – and the technology to make it – to companies around the world.

About alpha-lactalbumin (α-lac) 

Alpha-lactalbumin is a highly functional whey protein found in both cow’s milk and human milk – but in very different concentrations. In human milk, it is the dominant whey protein, representing around 20–25% of total protein content. In cow’s milk, it makes up only 3–5%, making it much more difficult and expensive to extract in large quantities.

Rich in essential amino acids like tryptophan and cysteine, α-lac is easily digestible and supports immune function, gut health, and cognitive development – especially in early life. These properties have made it a critical ingredient in high-end infant formula, including hypoallergenic and specialty formulations.

Beyond infant nutrition, α-lac is gaining interest in functional foods, ready-to-drink beverages, clinical nutrition, and dietary supplements – where high-quality, bioavailable protein is in growing demand.

However, current extraction methods from milk are highly inefficient: approximately 1,000 liters of milk are needed to produce just one kilogram of purified α-lac, making it one of the most expensive dairy proteins on the market.

Precision fermentation offers a scalable, animal-free solution. It enables consistent, high-purity α-lac production with the potential for cost competitiveness – unlocking access across industries while supporting more resilient and sustainable supply chains.

About 21st.BIO

21st.BIO was founded with one simple mission: to make leading industrial-scale precision fermentation technology accessible to as many as possible, so companies can successfully take biotech innovations to market at a competitive price. 21st.BIO focuses on developing industrial production technology for proteins and other molecules of interest for food, nutrition, agriculture, biomaterials, and biomining industries.

21st.BIO’s founders saw that too often, great bio innovation and molecules fail to translate into commercial success. The innovation is ready, the market is there, but production costs remain too high for the product to go mainstream. Industry insiders call it the ‘valley of death’, and that’s exactly what 21st.BIO intends to bridge.