PFx Biotech is revolutionizing the production of human lactoferrin through precision fermentation, aiming to meet the growing demand for sustainable and allergen-free proteins.
Global demand for sustainable and functional proteins is driving innovation in biotechnology. The fermented protein market is projected to reach $2.49 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 7.3%. Meanwhile, the lactoferrin market is expected to expand from $724.6 million in 2025 to $985.7 million by 2030 at a CAGR of 6.4% (Mordor Intelligence). These trends reflect growing consumer awareness of the need for gut health, immune support, and allergen-free nutrition.
PFx Biotech, a European startup founded in 2022 and incubated at the University of Porto UPTEC, is pioneering the production of human-identical lactoferrin (hLF) using precision fermentation. The company’s patented platform enables scalable manufacturing of bioactive proteins with minimal environmental impact. This technology was born out of a personal challenge. CEO Ali Osman’s son suffered from cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), which affects more than 15 million children worldwide. In the absence of safe alternatives to bovine-derived ingredients, PFx Biotech set out to produce human milk protein without relying on animal sources.
lactoferrin
Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein naturally found in breast milk and mucosal secretions. It plays an important role in immunomodulation, iron homeostasis, and antimicrobial defense. However, commercial infant formulas typically use bovine lactoferrin (bLF), which is structurally different from hLF. Human lactoferrin contains approximately 700 amino acids and shares approximately 60% sequence identity with bLF, but important differences in glycosylation pattern and receptor binding domain influence its biological activity and immunogenicity. Additionally, intensive dairy farming, where antibiotics and growth hormones are still used, poses health and sustainability risks in addition to supply chain challenges and high operating costs associated with low lactoferrin concentrations in milk.
To illustrate these differences, the team at PFx Biotech created a proteomic comparison chart from publicly available sources that highlights the amino acid sequence differences and glycan site diversity between hLF and bLF. The graph below shows that while both proteins retain iron-binding domains, hLF exhibits higher affinity for human receptors and enhanced cytokine stimulation.
Our precision fermentation manufacturing process
PFx Biotech’s proprietary manufacturing process includes:
Encode the human lactoferrin gene into your own microbial strain. These strains are grown in a bioreactor with water, sugar, and nutrients. Collect and purify proteins using advanced downstream processing.
After a successful 150L pilot, PFx Biotech will enter a scale-up phase with fermenters ranging from 1,500L to 75,000L. These trials aim to produce kilogram-scale quantities of hLF for sampling under material transfer agreements with selected commercial partners.
The company has also established a Nutrition and Applications Laboratory in Lisbon’s Tagus Park to support regulatory filings and product development. Under EU Regulation 2015/2283, fermented proteins such as hLF require novel food authorization by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Although many human milk oligosaccharides produced by precision fermentation have been approved as novel foods in the EU, approval of proteins derived from precision fermentation has been slower in Europe than in other markets (see Table 1). PFx Biotech wants to change this with robust safety and nutritional data.
Advantages of this approach
PFx Biotech’s platform offers significant advantages over traditional dairy sourcing, including:
Animal-free and vegan friendly Batch consistency and scalability Reduced carbon footprint and resource usage
“With increasing global interest in functional proteins, PFx Biotech is positioned to lead the next wave of sustainable nutrition,” said Diana Oliveira, currently PFx Biotech’s Director of Research and Development. He also emphasized the importance of Europe having a dedicated research capacity to understand the potential of human-identical proteins obtained through precision fermentation. The company aims to improve the health of infants, the elderly, and individuals with dietary restrictions by unlocking the potential of human-identical lactoferrin.
Fermentation is the future of protein.
This article will also be published in the quarterly magazine issue 24.
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