New course on precision fermentation opens door to the future

On 10 March, Wageningen will be among the first universities to launch a master's course focused entirely on the emerging field of precision fermentation. In eight weeks, students will learn how to use microorganisms and other cells to produce functional proteins for food - from animal-free cheese to cultured meat. Due to the increasing demand from the industry for experts in this innovative field, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) aims to provide its students with this unique skill set.

Career prospects

An increasing number of startups and larger companies are entering the field of precision fermentation to produce food proteins. While their current focus is mainly on cultured meat and dairy proteins, associate professor Etske Bijl expects the field to expand further. Therefore, companies will soon be seeking more precision fermentation experts. "But because the field is so new, there are no truly trained specialists yet," says Bijl. "Our students are now developing the unique skills that these companies are looking for. That offers them opportunities in the job market."

Wageningen scientists have been researching precision fermentation for several years. WUR has a unique combination of expertise in bioprocess engineering, food process engineering and food quality design. "It’s quite rare to have all this knowledge in one place and that the researchers actually find each other,” says Julia Kepler, associate professor Food Process Engineering. "But here at WUR, we are sitting next door to one another and we already collaborate for some time now." Together they possess practically all knowledge to cover the entire precision fermentation process. One chair group has the expertise about adapting microorganisms, while the other knows exactly how to grow them in a bioreactor and how to produce the end product. “This allows us to convey the whole picture to the students,” Kepler explains.

Hands-on experience

To provide students with a complete picture of precision fermentation, the course combines theory, practice and insights from the industry. Regular lectures alternate with guest speakers from companies or start-ups, such as Those Vegan Cowboys. In the theoretical assignments, students choose a product, design a microorganism that produces the necessary proteins and map out the growth and production process. Afterwards, the students take part in a week-long lab practical where they get to grow a genetically modified yeast in a bioreactor. Bisschops explains: "The goal is to feed the microorganisms in a way that maximises protein production. Each group devises its own strategy, and in the end, we compare the results."

For the first edition of the course, over fifty students have registered so far. Their backgrounds vary from food technology to process technology and molecular biology. Bijl finds this diversity quite valuable. "During the Precision Fermentation course, students discover where their expertise fits within the entire value chain," she says. " They also learn what they need to know about the rest of the process to contribute effectively to precision fermentation.

In addition to Precision Fermentation, WUR introduced two other courses at the start of the 2024/2025 academic year: Cultivated Meat and Seafood and Becoming food: Cellular Agriculture beyond the lab. The development of these courses is part of the National Growth Fund project Cellular Agriculture. This NGF project is coordinated by the Cellular Agriculture Netherlands Foundation.