Expertise

The role of the Biotechnology department is to develop processes to produce interesting molecules from plant substrates made from the fractionation of large-scale farming crops. These molecules naturally have commercial potential in the cosmetics, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

Microbiology and fermentation are only the initial stage necessary to produce interesting molecules. The purification and analytical follow-up of molecules produced by the microorganisms are integral parts of the overall process necessary to obtain the desired products. Fermentation and wort purification processes are developed with the relevant departments within ARD.

Over the last 20 years, ARD has acquired recognised know-how in the development and upscaling of fermentation processes, in particular :

• Exopolysaccharides : hyaluronic acid, Soligel®, Eladium®, biolygel, and other polymers,


• Lipid derivatives : sophorose-lipids (antibacterial molecules adaptable depending on the length of the chain of fatty acids),


• Molecules from metabolism : succinic acid, 5-keto-gluconic acid, dihydroxyacetone, bioethanol, various enzymes, excreted proteins, flavourings, colours,


• Microorganisms : probiotic bacteria, yeast, various bacteria.

Services and Cooperation :

World-leader in fermentation process up-scaling, ARD is constantly looking for partners who wish to join forces to jointly develop innovative processes; particularly companies specialising in metabolic engineering.

The Biotechnology department has a wide variety of fermenters and purification equipment going from laboratory size to industrial size (demonstration unit in white biotech BioDémo with fermentors). These tools make it possible to design industrial fermentation facilities. This equipment and know-how is made available to these external partners as part of fermentation/purification processing contracts, or as part of joint research and development programmes.The confidentiality of results is a constant concern for research teams