Optimizing culture media for microorganism production
In today’s rapidly evolving biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food industries, the efficient cultivation of microorganisms—such as yeast, bacteria, fungi, and algae—underpins the production of high-value ingredients, enzymes, bio-based chemicals, and functional foods.
For project leaders, buyers, and plant managers, the composition of the culture medium is a decisive factor in ensuring robust growth, high yields, and consistent quality.
A critical element of any culture medium is its nitrogen source. Our nitrogen-rich ingredients not only serve as a macronutrient but also play a pivotal role in supplying amino acids, vitamins, and growth factors vital for cell metabolism, productivity, and the expression of target biomolecules.
Selecting the optimal nitrogen source
With increasing market demands and sustainability goals, fermentation businesses face multiple challenges when it comes to nitrogen sources:
- Selecting between organic and inorganic nitrogen sources: Options include yeast extract, peptones, amino acids, meat and dairy hydrolysates, vegetable protein hydrolysates (such as NUTRALYS® and TUBERMINE®), stabilized corn steep liquor (such as SOLULYS®), and inorganic sources (ammonium or nitrate salts).
- Balancing performance and cost: While complex nitrogen sources (yeast extract, hydrolysates, peptones) provide a full spectrum of amino acids, peptides, and growth factors, inorganic options may be more cost-effective, but they lack complexity and may limit microorganism productivity and growth rates.
- Ensuring supply chain reliability: Access to a global supply of food, feed, or industrial-grade ingredients in various packaging formats is essential for industrial-scale operations.
- Meeting sustainability and regulatory criteria: There is an increasing shift towards plant-based, allergen-free, and eco-friendly inputs to reduce environmental footprints.
For stakeholders, selecting the most suitable nitrogen source is a complex decision that impacts efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and product quality.
Innovative, sustainable nitrogen sources
Roquette is at the forefront of delivering comprehensive fermentation ingredients tailored to industrial and R&D needs:
SOLULYS®
Stabilized Corn Steep Liquor
SOLULYS® is a naturally derived, cost-effective, and high-performing complex organic nitrogen source. Rich in amino acids, peptides, vitamins, and minerals, SOLULYS® enhances growth and productivity for a wide range of bacterial, yeast, fungal, and algal cultures across industries.
Key Benefits:
- Suitable for various applications: Microorganism production, bio-based chemicals, food & feed bio-ingredients, pharma & nutra bio-ingredients, and bio-agriculture.
- Available in multiple grades and packaging formats to meet industrial, food, or pharmaceutical requirements.
- Sustainable, globally sourced, and reliably delivered.
TUBERMINE® & NUTRALYS®
Plant protein hydrolysates
TUBERMINE® and NUTRALYS® represent Roquette’s commitment to plant-based, allergen-free, and sustainable nitrogen sources. Derived from potato and pea, these vegetable hydrolysates provide balanced amino acid profiles, essential peptides, and growth factors—critical for challenging or sensitive fermentation processes.
Key Benefits:
- Improve yield, growth rates, and final product quality in sensitive or high-value fermentations.
- Excellent alternatives to animal-based peptones and dairy/meat hydrolysates for cleaner labeling and regulatory compliance.
- NUTRALYS® is particularly suitable for food and nutraceutical applications.
Comprehensive technical expertise & customer Support
Roquette’s Customer Technical Service (CTS) partners with you to test and select the most efficient nitrogen source for your specific process, whether for bioproduction of biomass, enzymes, or metabolites (such as lactic acid). This reduces time-to-market while optimizing performance and costs.
The performance of culture media is directly linked to the selection of nitrogen sources—impacting microorganism growth, process yields, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. Roquette supports fermentation-driven industries with a broad portfolio of complex, organic, and plant-based nitrogen sources, as well as technical expertise to tailor solutions that best meet your R&D and industrial requirements.
Ready to optimize your fermentation process with sustainable, high-performance nitrogen sources? Contact our team today to discover how SOLULYS®, TUBERMINE®, NUTRALYS®, and our technical support can accelerate your innovation and industrial success.