Chr. Hansen has taken an important step in its strategic venture into new generations of probiotic products and therapeutic microbes. Through the creation of a new research and development consortium and the securing of strain access and commercialization rights, the company will strengthen its capabilities and gain access to renowned bio-banks of human gut bacteria.
Cees de Jong, CEO, Chr. Hansen, says: “Chr. Hansen has been a world leader in fermentation technology for 140 years and we have one of the industry’s strongest technological platforms for the production of microbes. We are now using this platform to expand into new generations of microbial solutions for human health, and with these agreements in place, we can strengthen our strategic research efforts and accelerate product development.”
In the consortium, led and financed by Chr. Hansen, the company partners with three academic institutions, all among the leaders in the field of anaerobic bacteria and host-microbe interactions: The University of Aberdeen (UK), the University of Groningen (NL) and the University of Wageningen (NL). The consortium will operate a research program, aimed at exploiting the human microbiome and developing bacterial products that can improve human health, for example in the prevention and treatment of gastro-intestinal and metabolic diseases.
Read more