5.7 billion won in support by 2029. Led by HLB Genex, with participation from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cellapi Bio, and Maeil Health Nutrition.

HLB Genex announced on the 30th that it has completed an agreement with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to be selected as the lead research institute for the 2025 Bio-industry Technology Development Project, a national project.

The project to be led by HLB Genex is the development of microbial-based mass production and application products for key animal protein raw materials for dietary use, and is expected to receive KRW 5.7 billion in government research and development funding by 2029.

As the lead organization for this project, HLB Genex will lead the technology development based on its experience in developing and mass-producing biohealthcare materials. In collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology and Cellapy Bio, HLB Genex will establish mass production and purification technologies based on precision fermentation. Furthermore, Maeil Health Nutrition will develop a strategy for developing high-value-added products utilizing the recombinant milk proteins obtained through this technology.

This project aims to utilize synthetic biology technology to produce recombinant milk proteins using proven, safe microorganisms, without the need for animals. This precision fermentation-based manufacturing method involves inserting genes essential for milk protein production (e.g., casein, beta-lactoglobulin) from bovine genetic information into the genome of a safe microorganism, which is then mass-produced in high-purity fermentation tanks.

This research and development will be conducted in two stages: ▲creating a GRAS-based recombinant strain for milk protein production, selecting a highly efficient production strain, optimizing pilot-scale precision fermentation and purification processes and formulation technology, and ▲developing alternative dairy products containing recombinant milk proteins to secure licensing data for commercial production.

Kim Eui-jung, CEO of HLB Genex, said, "Our milk protein production technology based on excellent safety organisms can be applied to various protein products and dairy products in a sustainable way that does not harm the environment." He added, "It can also be expanded to medical food and senior nutrition, so the market is very large."