Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants
Collège La Cité
$150,000.00
Development of a novel biotransformation technology for the production of lactose-free dairy products
FY 2024-25
Summary
Microstar Biotech Inc has expertise in microbial strain engineering, enzyme production and industrial applications. Particularly, over the past few years, the company has developed unique enzyme immobilization and continuous biotransformation techniques that had been successfully applied in biodiesel production. Lactose intolerance not only can lead to nutritional deficiency but also serious health issues and affects ~75% of the world’s population. Consumptions of lactose-reduced or lactose-free diary products can avoid these problems. Currently, the main industrial manufacturing process is through hydrolysis of lactose by directly adding free enzymes into the liquid milk which has both technical and economical disadvantages. The proposed project aims to first identify the most suitable enzymes and then adapt the established Microstar proprietary technologies to produce lactose-free diary products. Application of this technology to industrial production of lactose-free diary products has the potential to achieve better product quality with reduced process cost and meanwhile avoid microbial contamination.
Program
CCI Applied Research and Development Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
CCARD-2023-00262
Name nom
Le Roy, Julien
Department département
Centre d'accès à la technologie en bio-innovation - Bureau de recherche et de l'innovation - La Cité collégiale
Organization id
28248
Institution établissement
Collège La Cité
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2024
Competition year année de concours
2023
Award amount
150000
Program id
CCARD
Program name en
CCI Applied Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
ICC Subventions de recherche et développement appliquée
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
nan
Area of application code
9999
Area of application group en
Not available
Area of application group fr
Non disponible
Area of application en
Not available
Area of application fr
Non disponible
Research subject code
9999
Research subject group en
Not available
Research subject group fr
Non disponible
Research subject en
Not available
Research subject fr
Non disponible
Field of research list codes
RDF4040204
Field of research list names en
Food and beverage processing (including packaging, additives, transportation and preservation)
Field of research list names fr
Transformation des aliments et des boissons (y compris l'emballage, les additifs, le transport et la conservation)
Socioeconomic objective list codes
RDS10602
Socioeconomic objective list names en
Industrial processes related to agricultural products (except wood, paper and fiber)
Socioeconomic objective list names fr
Procédés industriels relatifs aux produits agricoles (sauf le bois, le papier, et la fibre)
Application title
Development of a novel biotransformation technology for the production of lactose-free dairy products
Keywords
Biotechnology; Biomanufacturing; agriculture and food; Biotransformation; Lactose-free dairy; β-galactosidase; industrial process ; Continuous Bioreactor ; Microbiology; Mycology
Application summary
Microstar Biotech Inc has expertise in microbial strain engineering, enzyme production and industrial applications. Particularly, over the past few years, the company has developed unique enzyme immobilization and continuous biotransformation techniques that had been successfully applied in biodiesel production. Lactose intolerance not only can lead to nutritional deficiency but also serious health issues and affects ~75% of the world’s population. Consumptions of lactose-reduced or lactose-free diary products can avoid these problems. Currently, the main industrial manufacturing process is through hydrolysis of lactose by directly adding free enzymes into the liquid milk which has both technical and economical disadvantages. The proposed project aims to first identify the most suitable enzymes and then adapt the established Microstar proprietary technologies to produce lactose-free diary products. Application of this technology to industrial production of lactose-free diary products has the potential to achieve better product quality with reduced process cost and meanwhile avoid microbial contamination.
