Co-production of health peptides and betaine using engineered mist E. coli
Biotechnological process using engineered MiST E. coli to co-produce bioactive peptides (IPP, VPP, lactoferrin) and betaine from beet molasses. The approach applies synthetic biology to improve yield and efficiency, including strategies for stable production, secretion and inducible lysis for peptide recovery, and fermentation monitoring to support scalable, clean-label functional food ingredient manufacturing. Technology readiness is TRL 4 with laboratory validation completed.
Overview
An engineered MiST E. coli platform enables co-production of clinically validated bioactive peptides—IPP, VPP, and lactoferrin—together with betaine. Beet molasses is used as a sustainable, cost-effective feedstock to support production of health-promoting functional food ingredients. The approach combines synthetic biology with fermentation to target scalable and efficient manufacturing.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Engineered MiST E. coli strains: Designed to maintain a stable and productive cell population, addressing productivity loss and the emergence of cheater mutants.
- Co-production capabilities: Optimized to co-produce three health peptides (IPP, VPP, lactoferrin) and betaine to improve yield and efficiency.
- Utilization of beet molasses: Uses abundant, low-cost beet molasses as feedstock to support biosynthesis of peptides and betaine and improve economic viability.
- Advanced secretion and lysis strategies: Optimized for peptide secretion and inducible lysis to improve peptide recovery and minimize aggregation.
- Bioreactor monitoring: Monitoring techniques intended to support scalable, high-yield fermentation processes.
Technology readiness level
Currently at TRL 4, the technology has completed laboratory validation. Future work includes engineering strains for optimized expression, conducting small-scale fermentation trials, and scaling up to pilot fermenters. The process will undergo analytical validation and application testing, with plans to integrate and scale the production process commercially.
About AsimicA, Inc
AsimicA, Inc. is a B2B microbial strain engineering company that has developed a proprietary technology platform called Microbial Stem Cell Technology (MiST). This innovation addresses the problem of low productivity in industrial microbial biofactories, where traditional fermentation processes often suffer from microbial exhaustion, genetic drift, and the emergence of non-productive cheater mutants. By engineering microbes to divide asymmetrically, MiST creates a self-renewing sub-population of stem cells that continuously replenish the culture with young, productive factory cells. This approach effectively extends the lifespan of fermentation batches and significantly increases product yield, offering a method that can be applied to diverse bioprocessing applications, from pharmaceuticals and food ingredients to biofuels and new materials.
The company’s technology provides significant value to biomanufacturing partners by improving the economic efficiency of production lines, reducing downtime, and lowering overall manufacturing costs. By achieving multi-fold improvements in yields, AsimicA’s solutions help companies enhance their industrial-scale fermentation capabilities for complex molecules, including cytotoxic products that are typically difficult to synthesize. Founded in 2018 as a spin-off from University of Wyoming research, the company has secured federal grants and venture capital support, including through the SOSV IndieBio program, to advance its technology toward industrial application and establish contractual partnerships with commercial manufacturers.
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