The concept behind SHRMP.bio was born from the founder's previous experience in developing a biopharmaceutical manufacturing technology and process. While exploring alternative applications for their pharmaceutical bioprocessing technologies, the idea of lab-grown meat as a potential solution for future food security was considered. However, despite being a potential solution, lab-grown meat seems over-engineered and still faces significant challenges.
This led to the idea of manufacturing small food organisms like shrimp using a biotechnology process. From a biotechnology standpoint, this would simplify the lab-grown meat approach by using "self-organizing meat clusters" that are actually enjoyable to eat. This is in contrast to engineering meat from stem cells into a muscle cell slurry, which then needs to be formulated into a structured, flavorsome, and nutritious food.
On the other hand, traditional shrimp farming has remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of years and has its own sustainability and impact issues related to the use of wild-catch, land use, and waste. Moreover, it is subject to environmental disruption during severe weather events. Therefore, it became clear that there is a potential and a need to take aquaculture to the next level.
To make sustainable seafood possible, SHRMP.bio aims to converge sciences and technologies by combining elements of biology, bioprocessing, and automation with modern aquaculture approaches.
The technological vision is to create a fully integrated high-tech manufacturing platform that will combine the grow-out of juveniles, rearing of larvae and, one day, an immortalised or non-sexual breeding system into one manufacturing seed train.
Exactly the same way as it is done in biotech cell-based production methods.
You might find it a bit surprising to find Gregor talking about seafood and aquaculture now, so here is a short summary of his personal journey into this surprisingly fascinating field:
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