By Janet Kanters

Belgian biotechnology company Zymofix has secured €1.9 million (US$2.1 million) in funding from the Flemish Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to support a three-year research project aimed at improving the consistency and reliability of microbial agricultural products.

The funding will support MicroFix, a €3.2 million (US$3.6 million) collaborative project between Zymofix and Ghent University led by Prof. Tina Kyndt from the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering.

The research will investigate how manufacturing processes influence the performance of microorganisms used in biological crop protection and other agricultural applications. Rather than focusing on selecting new microbial strains, the project will examine how production methods affect microbial traits and their effectiveness under field conditions.

“Microbial solutions have enormous potential, but their performance is still too unpredictable,” said Emile Redant, CEO of Zymofix. “With MicroFix, we aim to understand how our manufacturing technology (Zyft) influences microbial function, allowing us to design more reliable and effective biological products.”

Researchers from Zymofix and Ghent University will combine expertise in microbiology, plant science and modelling to develop a data-driven framework linking manufacturing conditions to microbial characteristics and crop performance. The project will also study how microbial traits measured under controlled conditions translate into plant responses under both abiotic and biotic stress.

A key focus of the research is Zyft, Zymofix’s proprietary solid-state fermentation platform. The technology uses thermally processed agricultural sidestreams as both a growth medium and formulation material, allowing microorganisms to be produced on a solid substrate that remains part of the final product.

According to the company, the project is expected to provide new insights into how production and formulation methods influence microbial stability and performance while supporting the use of agricultural sidestreams in biological manufacturing.

Beyond the scientific research, Zymofix said MicroFix is expected to strengthen microbial biotechnology expertise in Flanders, support the creation of research and development jobs, and increase the value of agricultural sidestreams as part of more sustainable and circular agricultural production systems.