September 14, 2022

Startup's feed protein validated by BioMar following trials with salmon

Gas fermentation startup String Bio has its protein ingredient PRO-DG validated by BioMar after successful feed trials with farmed salmon.

The Indian biotech company is one of the world leaders in gas fermentation, scaling up economical and modular fermenters that enable the production of high-quality ingredients from greenhouse gases.

PRO-DG is an alternative protein ingredient with optimal nutritional factors, manufactured by the platform. It provides traceability, significantly optimises the use of land and water and provides sustainability to the feed value chain. Key performance and physiological parameters from the trials validated the use of PRO-DG as a feed ingredient in salmon diets.

In previous trials with renowned institutes, PRO-DG has been found to increase feed conversion and growth rates in shrimp, poultry and other species as well.

The introduction and large-scale adoption of alternative protein ingredients, like PRO-DG, in aquaculture feed can be central to strengthening global food security and lessening pressure on wild fish stocks and the ocean ecosystem.

Commenting on the successful trial, Dr. Ezhil Subbian, co-founder and chief executive officer of String Bio, said, "String has been validating the use of PRO-DG across various species in different geographies and varying farm management practices. It's a great milestone to have the validation studies done by BioMar, an industry leader in the aqua nutrition sector. We look forward to taking the work ahead with them to drive commercial adoption of novel ingredients in aquaculture."

BioMar paid particular attention to the evaluation of this new unicellular protein, which it has been working on for some time together with String Bio, with the intention of biologically evaluating the product, calculating its value in diets and trying to help the process of commercial acceleration of this new raw material.

"At BioMar, we are constantly seeking innovative raw materials that are aligned with our strategic ambitions to help develop circular and restorative ingredients," said Fernando Norambuena, global category manager of novel raw materials at BioMar. "The preliminary results of the validation highlight the biological potential of PRO-DG as a protein alternative within our current basket of raw materials to reduce carbon emissions."

- The Fish Site