Pioneer \ Companies - N°64 vision about its future who collectively have an and only a small number of structured ourselves (Edi- MIXOTROPHY unmatched culture in the players were exploring the tor’s note: along with the fi eld of microalgae. In order universe of microorganisms. appointment of Jean-Michel It is the trophic mode of living organisms that to motivate them to become After its IPO in 2014 the Pommet as portfolio Pro- develop themselves winners and orient them company went through a ducts Development Director either by autotrophy (use of light as towards short and medium period of uncertainty, which - see this article on appoint- energy source), or term marketing topics. We motivated its Board of Direc- ments in this issue) and Jean- by heterotrophy will rely on it in the years to tors to make a change in Louis Caradec as a Sales and (the organisms feed on existing organic come. It is not by chance governance that saw among Marketing Dirctor) and now compounds - fungi), that the Japanese group other things my arrival at the we have to step up. And we or via these two DIC (Editor’s note: leader modes simultaneously. head of Fermentalg. have the means to do that. Microalgae have in the global market for We now have a clear vision We need to leave behind the this unique ability phycocyanin, CAGR 50%) about what Fermentalg startup period and reach an to operate both autotrophically and has entered a cooperation should become. We have industrial size. ■ heterotrophically.. agreement with us and par- ticipated end of 2017 in the company’s recapitalization FERMENTALG IN FULL operation with an amount of TRANSPARENCY € 18 million. We have a very large pipeline of possibilities, with nearly Fermentalg has three separate buildings in Libourne, where it has its headquarters. twenty patent categories. • An administrative and a pilot building. This They protect our research is where the 1,000-litre pilot fermenter, a 171 and development strategy scale down of an industrial fermenter whose whose objective is to “iden- pilot simulates most operational conditions, tify” innovative products that is located. It is from this fermenter that the create value for our custo- algal biomass is extracted, from which will mers. be extracted products such as DHA and We are also focused on the phycocyanin..It is also here that Fermentalg’s new alternatives sources of development activity is carried out - it proteins with high nutrient relies on nearly thirty laboratory fermenters and antioxidant. And, of that allow testing all the culture conditions (oxygenation, light, culture medium, etc.). A course, on phycocyanin. team is dedicated to this process. Another team is dedicated to the analytical platform (dosage Actif’s Magazine: of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, etc.). What do you think • A microbiology centre. Two strain about Fermetalg’s collections are isolated (a third collection past evolution? How is stored outside) and preserve 2,400 can this experience be species. Dedicated teams work on the used to fuel the future isolation process, the genetic identifi cation of the enterprise? of strains and their characterization (identifi cation of their metabolic capacities). Philippe Lavielle: The best culturing conditions are implemented (pH, salinity, substrates, etc.) About ten years ago, when in order to select the most adapted varieties Fermentalg created this tech- depending on the targeted objectives. nological platform dedicated • A manufacturing facility. Under development, to microalgae in Libourne, it it should be operational in the near future. enjoyed an explosive growth. Because it used a technology hardly developed at that time (Editor’s note: mixotrophy) News on Functional & Health Ingredients \ N°64 \ July - August - September 2018 \ ■