Precision fermentation scales with Amyris, AuX
- Amyris said March 10 it finished a fourth production line at its Barra Bonita, Brazil, precision-fermentation plant, expanding commercial capacity for specialty ingredients. - AuX Labs said April 21 it closed a $4 million round to commercialize casein-based cheese proteins aimed at pizza, grilled cheese, and foodservice. - The backdrop is a race to scale fermentation from pilot runs to everyday food supply. (globenewswire.com)
Precision fermentation is a way to program microbes like yeast to make specific ingredients, and two companies moved to scale it in April and March. Amyris finished a new production line in Brazil, and AuX Labs raised fresh money for dairy proteins used in cheese. (amyris.com) (finance.yahoo.com) Amyris said on March 10 that it completed construction of a new line at its Barra Bonita plant in Brazil, adding to three existing lines at the site. The company said the expansion is meant to serve growing demand for specialty molecules across food, health, agriculture, flavor and fragrance markets. (amyris.com) The new Amyris line uses a 2x80 cubic meter configuration, while the three older lines use 2x200 cubic meter setups. Chief executive Kathy Fortmann said the added line lets Amyris “say yes to more customers.” (amyris.com) Amyris’ broader manufacturing base in Barra Bonita now totals 1.44 million liters of fermentation capacity, according to the company’s manufacturing page. The site was commissioned in 2022 and is designed to run multiple products on independent lines at the same time. (amyris.com) That expansion followed a May 29, 2025 deal in which Amyris bought Ingredion’s 31% stake in the RealSweet joint venture and took full ownership of the Barra Bonita plant. At the time, Amyris said the fourth line would be operational in early 2026. (amyris.com) AuX Labs is working on a narrower food problem: making animal-free cheese behave more like dairy cheese when it melts and stretches. The Toronto company said April 21 that it closed a $4 million funding round to commercialize precision-fermented dairy proteins. (finance.yahoo.com) AuX Labs said the round was led by NYA Ventures and Nàdarra Ventures, with participation from Verdex Capital and Builders VC, plus continued backing from Congruent Ventures and Bluestein Ventures. The company said it will use the money to ramp manufacturing, expand its team, and support foodservice and consumer partnerships. (finance.yahoo.com) The company’s pitch centers on casein, the milk protein that gives cheese much of its structure and cooking performance. TechCrunch reported April 21 that AuX Labs says it can make casein without cows, targeting products that can work in pizzerias and at home at similar cost. (techcrunch.com) (finance.yahoo.com) A GlobeNewswire market report published April 27 projected the precision fermentation market could reach $75.76 billion by 2035. That figure comes from a sponsored market forecast, not from Amyris or AuX Labs, but it captures the commercial argument behind both announcements: the sector now needs more steel, more tanks, and more customers. (globenewswire.com)
