Massachusetts-based KnipBio’s Innovative Feed Supports Sustainable Fish Farms
Aquaculture feed innovations make today’s modern fish farming industry one of the most sustainable forms of protein production. The Massachusetts-based company KnipBio is developing alternative feed ingredients that help minimize the environmental footprint of fish farms as farmers grow and raise healthy and sustainable seafood. Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) interviewed KnipBio’s Chief Science Officer, Guillaume Salze, Ph.D., to learn about their exciting work.
What does KnipBio do?
Fish need a carefully formulated diet to maintain health and promote growth, including protein, fats, and immune-boosting nutrients. Since 2013, KnipBio has been developing innovative technologies based on a microorganism that naturally produces immune-boosting nutrients for aquaculture feeds that boost fish health and provide better stress resilience. Our single-cell ingredient is produced by aerobic fermentation, in a process similar to beer brewing, pasteurized and dried. The resulting powder can then be added to the other dry ingredients during feed manufacturing and distributed to the animals on the farms.
How do innovations in feed help to make aquaculture more sustainable?
Sustainable feed is key to aquaculture’s overall sustainability, and aquaculture has certainly come a long way. For the past 40 years or so, the development of alternative feed ingredients, mostly proteins and fat sources, has greatly improved the sustainability of aquaculture feeds. Today, new feed ingredients are emerging – not just using plants, like soy, wheat, and corn, but also insects and single-cell proteins. Many single-cell ingredients, such as algae, fungi, bacteria, and yeast, can be substituted for fishmeal or plant-based ingredients as a protein source in aqua feed. In fact, these products aim to provide bulk nutrients and replace less-sustainable commodities.
Fish farmers will continue to need better solutions for feed ingredients that are scalable, affordable, and sustainable. Single-cell protein technology meets this challenge. Raw materials are affordable and abundant in nature, and the microbes grow quickly. Agricultural wastes, gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, and renewable liquid carbon sources (e.g., e-methanol) can be used as feedstock in the fermentation process. Land conversion rates are minimal, and the product can be produced continuously throughout the year.
Tell us about the exciting developments in fish feed at KnipBio.
KnipBio focuses on the other side of the innovation coin. We aim to improve the sustainability of the entire farm by improving survival, stress resilience, and overall production efficiency. At KnipBio, we are continuing to innovate to meet the increasing need for protein while minimizing the environmental footprint of aquaculture. We are currently in the final phase of development of our flagship product, JUV, a leaf bacteria that acts as a super food for fish and markedly improves stress resilience. Fish have to be transported and handled periodically on a farm, which causes stress. This, in turn, can weaken an animal’s overall health. Our cutting-edge feed technology improves fish health, reduces environmental impact, and improves the farmer’s bottom line.
With our product, more fish remain healthy and survive in case of illness, so there’s less need for expensive medications to treat fish that do get sick. Improving farmed fish survival rates is one of the most impactful opportunities today, crucial for a farm’s bottom line and reducing environmental impacts.
What opportunities would expanding offshore aquaculture in U.S. federal waters provide Americans?
The gigantic demand for seafood is unparalleled, yet the U.S. depends on other countries to satisfy this demand. Our production only meets a fraction of the need, leading to a huge seafood trade deficit.
At the same time, Americans do not consume enough seafood per capita to take full advantage of its health benefits.
Increasing domestic aquaculture production would have several, high impact effects. Reducing the seafood trade deficit by decreasing the need for imports leads to a stronger U.S. economy. Coupled with marketing efforts, increasing U.S. seafood consumption would also benefit people’s health. Finally, food security is national security, and we must do more to safeguard our food supply. Federal waters represent an under-utilized space with minimal user conflict compared to coastal areas. Using that space to reduce a trade deficit, improve people’s health, and improve national security is a no-brainer.
Why is an investment in research that supports feed advancements critical?
Investments in research into advances in feed ingredients are vitally important for industry growth and sustainability, particularly due to climate change. In 2012, the Peruvian anchovy fishery collapsed in an El Nino year, leading to shortages in fishmeal. Entrepreneurs from all walks of life interested in bacteria, yeast, fungi, and insects – stepped up, offered solutions, and solved the technical challenge of using these novel ingredients in fish feed. As more severe weather events and warming waters impact traditional feed ingredients, building supply chain resilience for our feed ingredients is critical, just as we must do in our seafood supply chain.
With investments in research from the federal government and industry, the research community can meet the challenge of increasing resilience and sustainability in aqua feed.