Novonesis is transforming the way we produce and consume for a healthier planet and healthier people
The era of biosolutions is headed by Novonesis, whose mission is to transform the way the world produces, consumes and lives, by leveraging the power of microbiology and science. Driven by a shared purpose to support healthier lives and foster a healthier planet, the company works closely with customers across more than 30 industries to create bioinnovations designed to take their businesses into the future. Novonesis prides itself on its unmatched understanding of customer needs and commitment to building strong relationships. To fully understand the company’s operations and impact, Manufacturing Today has interviewed Tue Micheelsen, President of the company’s North America division.
“In essence, we better our world with biology by providing efficient biological alternatives to the harmful chemicals that often make their way into the food system and consumer products. We aim to offer industries healthier, biological options that replace these chemicals,” he opens. “Serving 30 different sectors across the globe, our technology impacts five billion people daily, though most of them are unaware they use our innovations. Novonesis biological solutions play a vital role in many of the products sold in supermarkets to improve quality, taste or to make them healthier. For instance, in the yogurt industry, which is one of our largest markets, we can enhance shelf life, flavor, and texture without resorting to unhealthy additives. Instead of chemicals, we provide alternatives found in nature such as microbes and enzymes that we ferment and scale up. This allows us to extend yogurt shelf life by introducing beneficial microbes that combat harmful bacteria, thus preventing mold growth. The same principle applies to detergents, which typically contain numerous chemicals. Our biological alternatives include enzymes that effectively break down dirt, whiten clothes, and soften fabrics, thereby replacing chemicals that pollute water streams. In products like bread, juice, wine, beer, cheese, and meat, we offer biological solutions that enhance taste, texture, and longevity without relying on synthetic chemicals,” he adds.
At the heart of Novonesis lies the philosophy of using nature to solve human problems. Tue explains how this approach influences the company’s product development. “This is probably the coolest aspect of our story. In a single spoonful of soil from the ground, there are millions if not billions of different microbes. Each of these microbes produces thousands of small molecules, including enzymes and proteins. In that teaspoon-sized sample, there are probably millions and millions of enzymes, each uniquely designed by nature to address a very specific natural problem. For example, when a leaf falls from a tree, it becomes coated in millions of microbes and enzymes. These organisms convert the leaf into nutrients for the soil, forming a circular system created by nature. By studying the billions of enzymes and microbes that nature has already invented, we aim to understand how we can use these biological processes to the benefit of society. We then mimic these processes, scaling each biosolution and bring them into an industrial context for companies to replace traditional chemistry. In essence, we send scientists into nature to try and understand how and why certain biological processes have evolved. By leveraging this understanding, we can apply these natural solutions in an industrial context to offer sustainable alternatives that align with the principles of nature.”
Following this principle, Novonesis has developed groundbreaking technology that plays a vital role in the transition to ethanol as a sustainable fuel source. “Ethanol is our largest business in the US, where our process involves converting corn into ethanol. This is achieved in the same fashion I described earlier, utilizing several biological steps to process the corn. First, we disintegrate the corn using different types of enzymes. The next step is to isolate the starch, after which we add an enzyme that converts the starch into sugar. We have engineered a yeast that can chew on this sugar and subsequently turn it into ethanol, effectively closing the process. The benefits of this process, and of ethanol as a fuel source, are manifold. For example, when fueling a car in the US, about ten percent of the fuel is ethanol, which effectively replaces a portion of gasoline, a petrochemical-derived compound. Ethanol pollutes significantly less than oil, and there are geopolitical advantages to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Additionally, corn can be grown anywhere, even in backyards, which can increase domestic energy independence by allowing us to produce ethanol-based fuel locally.
“But that is not even the best part. When analyzing the carbon footprint throughout the entire process, from growing the corn to converting it into ethanol, and comparing it to an oil-based process, we find that using ethanol-based gasoline can reduce overall carbon emissions by up to 40 percent compared to pure petrochemical-based gasoline. Last but not least, consumers in the US benefit at gas stations, as gasoline containing ethanol is cheaper than its purely petrochemical-based alternative. Thus, there are very few downsides to this process. One of our primary goals is to promote the increased use of ethanol in gasoline everywhere in the world, and particularly in the US,” Tue enlightens.
Clearly, ethanol as a fuel offers numerous undeniable advantages to manufacturers and consumers alike, though these benefits may not be known to all audiences. This highlights the importance of educating consumers on the benefits of biosolutions and the role of biotechnology in everyday products. “As a large company that sells to consumer-facing businesses, we strive to collaborate with our direct customers to simplify our message and make it easier for consumers to understand what we do. Our hope is that our customers will adopt the language of biology to make these concepts more appealing to their consumers.
“One way we raise awareness about biosolutions is through fostering dialogue with our customers. Additionally, we engage in conversations and interviews, such as this one with Manufacturing Today, to get media exposure and share the power of biology. Finally, we also work closely with government institutions, regulators, and key stakeholders around the world to promote the benefits of biotechnology and improve the marketability of our biosolutions. Biomanufacturing and biosolutions is a relatively novel industry compared to some of the more conventional petrochemical sectors that have been established for decades. Therefore, it is essential to educate regulators and policymakers about the transformative potential of biotechnology,” Tue reveals.
As a fast-growing business, Novonesis continually invests in innovation and introduces new products to the market every year. “Recently, we launched a new yeast called Innova Eclipse in the American market, which is designed to enhance the process of converting corn into ethanol by increasing both speed and yield. In addition to our advancements in biofuels, we are always developing new products for the food industry, aimed at a variety of applications. For instance, we help improve the process of making cheese, assist brewers in making tasty low- or no-alcohol beers and enable baking companies to reduce their reliance on emulsifiers and other chemicals. In line with our focus on innovation, we strive to connect with consumers and remain relevant to their evolving demands. At the same time, we are dedicated to tackling some of the world’s most pressing problems, like reducing carbon emissions, combating food scarcity, and promoting health,” Tue ends.
By harnessing nature’s ingenuity to create sustainable alternatives that benefit both industry and society, Novonesis paves the way for a healthier future.