Techno-economic modelling for biomanufacturing of sweet proteins

Overview

This offering provides computer-based techno-economic modelling and life-cycle analysis to compare alternative biomanufacturing routes for producing high-intensity sweet proteins. The research focuses on evaluating whether transgenic plants and plant-seed-based production systems can deliver significant cost and sustainability advantages over microbial fermentation approaches such as engineered yeast or E. coli. By combining process simulation with environmental impact assessment, the work helps companies identify the most economically viable and environmentally responsible pathway for scaling up sweet protein production.

Sweet proteins offer a natural alternative to sugar and high-intensity sweeteners, with sensory studies indicating that small amounts of thaumatin II can replace up to half of the sucrose in a sweetened formulation. The modelling framework supports decision-making for food, beverage, and ingredient companies seeking to evaluate novel production strategies before committing capital.

Technical specifications

Modelling capabilities:

• Process simulation using SuperPro Designer for upstream and downstream unit operations
• Comparative analysis of plant-based platforms including open-field transgenic Nicotiana tabacum, indoor vertical farming with transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana, spinach with plant viral-based expression, and plant seed-based production
• Comparative analysis of microbial fermentation platforms including Pichia, S. cerevisiae, E. coli, and filamentous fungi
• Evaluation of varying production scales (kg/year), expression titers (g/kg fresh weight or g/L), and downstream purification levels impacting product purity and recovery
• Cost analysis outputs including capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating expenditure (OPEX), and cost of goods sold (COGS)
• Sustainability assessment using process mass intensity, environmental health and safety impact, and cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis
• Environmental footprint metrics including greenhouse gas emissions (CO2eq/kg protein), water usage (kg/kg protein), and energy usage (kWh/kg protein)

Key findings from prior validation:

• Field-grown transgenic N. tabacum achieved the lowest COGS at $318/kg for thaumatin II at 50 MT/yr scale
• Transient production in spinach followed at $350/kg COGS
• Sensory evaluation confirmed that 5% sucrose with 4.6 ppm thaumatin II matches the sweetness of 10% sucrose

Technology readiness level

The modelling methodology has been validated through a published techno-economic analysis of thaumatin II production at 50 MT/yr scale in collaboration with industry partners. Current and planned work extends the framework to additional sweet proteins, plant seed-based production systems, and fermentation-based comparators. Models are being refined with data from industrial collaborators to improve accuracy across a wider range of production scenarios. The approach is ready for application to partner-specific production challenges and can be adapted to evaluate emerging biomanufacturing platforms.