Precision Fermentation: TurtleTree Uses Microbes to Fuel a Cow-less Milk Revolution

We learned a bit in my previous blog about precision fermentation and how we can use the power of engineering microorganisms to craft the products we want from simple ingredients like fruits and vegetables! In this follow-up story we are going to step into the world of cutting-edge innovation as we talk with a groundbreaking company that is paving its way in this field: TurtleTree! TurtleTree is a global food company which started in Singapore, but has roots right around the corner to Davis, CA. Witnessing the fusion of technology and food so close to home is truly inspiring! Let's sit down with TurtleTree to learn more about how they are revolutionizing the food industry by creating milk ingredients without the need for cows!

What is TurtleTree?

TurtleTree is one of the top pioneering global food-tech companies in the precision fermentation space. This company is rewriting the rules of dairy production—minus the cows—by merging science and food. In an exclusive conversation with the company, they shared their vision: "We're here to provide healthy and ethically-produced food products to every household in the world." Their mission extends beyond just nourishing our bodies; it's about creating a global food system that's in harmony with the planet and its creatures. The company envisions a future where access to nutritious and locally-produced food is a reality for every household around the globe. TurtleTree is taking a bold step towards revolutionizing the food industry, offering a glimpse into “a new generation of sustainable food—one that’s better for the planet, animals, and people everywhere”.

 

How did TurtleTree Get Started?

So how did TurtleTree’s founders get into the field of precision-fermented milk products? It all started with Fengru Lin, co-founder of TurtleTree, who took up a hobby learning how to make cheese! Making good cheese of course requires really good milk and after extensive travels to dairy farms across Asia, it became evident that there were significant challenges in milk production. "Recognizing the need for change, she joined forces with Chief Strategist and co-founder Max Rye to revolutionize milk production."

What is TurtleTree’s Main Product?

Milk in its entirety is really complex! Milk from cows consists of a bunch of different carbohydrates (maybe you have heard of ‘carbs’, these include sugars like lactose), proteins (you might remember ‘whey’ which is a common group of milk proteins used in protein powders), and fats (which is why we can get ‘whole’ or full-fat milk versus 1%, 2% and skim). Synthesizing milk, or growing it from microorganisms through precision fermentation might require using many different microbes that are engineered to make different parts of milk, and then later they would have to be mixed back together! As you can imagine this, while really cool, is a tough place to start so instead Fengru and Max embarked on a unique path. They discussed with prominent players in the dairy and infant formula industries to discover milk products that they could make more readily, that have a high need. According to TurtleTree, “During this exploration, lactoferrin stood out as a potent component that offers powerful functional benefits and addresses significant flaws in the current food system, including ethical concerns, rapidly increasing protein demand, and difficulties obtaining adequate nutrition in many regions worldwide.” This revelation led TurtleTree to combine their power in innovation with the current needs world-wide, setting the stage for their pioneering journey in the alternative protein and dairy fields.

Why Make Lactoferrin? What is It?

Maybe you have learned about ‘proteins’ and why they are so important for our bodies. Most people have heard of them as being important to make our muscles strong. Proteins are actually so important in every cell in our body, in many ways! Think of proteins like the building blocks in our cells. We scientists often call proteins the functional units of the cell. They're like tiny machines that do all sorts of important jobs, like helping your body grow, repairing things, and keeping you safe from harmful things.

Now, let's talk about the special protein that TurtleTree is interested in making, called lactoferrin. As the company explains, "Cow’s milk is absolutely jam-packed with lots of macro and micronutrients and multi-functional proteins that help support early development, life, and growth." In the world of proteins, we could say that lactoferrin is like a superhero within your body. Lactoferrin has this incredible power to do many things that keep us feeling good (Figure 1). It's a defender of your health. One of its jobs is to help your body stay strong by supporting your immune system. It's like having a shield that protects you from getting sick. Lactoferrin is also good at keeping your stomach happy – it's a friendly helper for your digestion. And it's even good at making sure there's not too much or too little iron in your body, which is super important because our bodies need the right amount of iron to work properly.

How do you Make Lactoferrin?

Before TurtleTree, getting enough lactoferrin wasn't easy. You can get Lactoferrin from cow’s milk, but in order to get enough in a useful amount, it takes tons of milk! Because TurtleTree can use our favorite technique, precision fermentation,instead of getting lactoferrin from cows, they use tiny microorganisms like yeasts (similar to the ones that make bread) to make lactoferrin! This way, we can have more lactoferrin without needing to use up lots of resources or rely on animals. How does TurtleTree do it? To put it simply, "We start by taking the genetic sequence that instructs a cow cell how to make lactoferrin, and we put that into a microbe like yeast. We then culture the yeast, add sugars and nutrients, and through fermentation, these microbes then produce lactoferrin." The outcome after a few more purification steps is a pure lactoferrin! It’s a valuable dry powder that holds the potential to reshape nutritional supplementation and wellness on a global scale. It’s a pretty light pink color at the end, so some have even called it “pink gold” because it is so pure and valuable! So, in a way, these scientists are like modern-day wizards, making sure we have what we need to be healthy and strong!

Why Develop Fermentation-Derived Milk and Milk Products like Lactoferrin? Why is This Better Than Getting it From Cows?

Maybe you’ve seen the rise of oat milk in the last few years or you’ve tried coconut or almond milk! Many people around the world are shifting towards plant-based milks for various reasons. One reason people choose non-dairy milks is that they are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance means that the individuals have an allergy or sensitivity to lactose which is one of the sugars in milk. One study found that “15% of people of northern European descent, 70-80% of people of African, Latino, eastern European, and south American descent, and 90-100% of people of Asian descent” have lactose sensitivity. And as TurtleTree put it, “That’s a huge percentage of the global population who look for alternatives to dairy milk!” Fortunately, most plant-based milk like soy, almond, and coconut are free from the lactose allergen, making them safe for lactose intolerant people! One drawback of plant-based milks though is that “plant-based milk [...] fails to be nutritionally equivalent to dairy milk”. But that’s where TurtleTree comes in! Through precision fermentation, they can make “Plant-based milks fortified with precision fermentation derived dairy proteins.” This means adding the good parts of milk like lactoferrin, but keeping them lactose-free, making a more nutritious milk that is suitable for more people world-wide!

Among other reasons for choosing animal-free dairy is that the current dairy production process is really resource-intensive. For products like lactoferrin: one cow “will produce 8 gallons of milk per day, equivalent to just 3g of lactoferrin.” Three grams is super tiny; three grams is similar to the weight of three paperclips! That’s why making lactoferrin with precision fermentation is much more efficient. Based on similar studies comparing fermentation-derived milk proteins versus milk-derived, “whey protein is between 91.2% and 96.6% lower in GHG emissions than that of total protein in milk”. GHG emissions are  greenhouse gas emissions. These are harmful gasses that are released by lots of things including animal farming, and we want to keep those as low as possible to keep our planet healthy. Precision fermentation gives us the chance to keep these low but still get the proteins we want! 

Precision fermentation, also streamlines food production into a contained and efficient system. It enables the creation of milk proteins from start to finish within a single facility “from inception to packaging all under one roof." This can help reduce a lot of the transportation involved in other foods because all of it is done in one place and also helps the scientists to be able to control and monitor more carefully every step of the process from input to final product. This also helps mitigate things like food security. TurtleTree started in Singapore, and “For countries like Singapore that are small, island nations, precision fermentation provides a new way to produce animal-derived foods themselves with much less land.” Traditionally, Singapore has to import a lot of its food because things like animal farming are very resource intensive. However, with precision fermentation it holds the promise that the facility “could exist within a city or suburban landscape”, enabling small countries and urban areas to produce more nutrient-dense foods locally instead of relying on imports.

What is Next for TurtleTree?

Looking ahead, TurtleTree is continuing to push the boundaries of innovation in the food industry. TurtleTree is really unifying the food and science worlds, they are dedicated to fostering collaboration between scientists, chefs, and innovators world-wide! TurtleTree has already met great success. Earlier this year they debuted their “first-ever animal-free lactoferrin”, which they call LF+! TurtleTree was able to have a tasting event earlier this year where they debuted this product and they hope this year to move to market in the US. We are excited to see what types of lactoferrin products TurtleTree produces in the near future and also excited for the future of TurtleTree, for them “Lactoferrin is the first building block and we’ll continue to build out our pipeline of high value ingredients, creating them at scale and unlocking access for many more people.”

 

Author’s Note: If you are interested to learn more about TurtleTree please visit their website and Blog. Interview was conducted with Dr. Vanessa Castagna, Scientific Affairs Liaison for TurtleTree and UC Davis Ph. D. alum. TurtleTree banner was provided by Victoria Flagg, TurtleTree Scientific Communications Associate. Remaining graphics were generated in Tome and Canva.