32: Could Lab-generated Lactoferrin Be Healthier, Cheaper, and Better for the Planet?

32: Could Lab-generated Lactoferrin Be Healthier, Cheaper, and Better for the Planet?

From Talking Climate by The Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy

November 25, 2025 · 27 min · Season 3 · Episode 32

About this episode

The episode discusses De Novo Foodlabs' innovative approach to synthesizing lactoferrin through precision fermentation and its potential benefits.

Episode Intro: One of the two runners up for the Wilkes Center Climate Launch Prize this past year is De Novo Foodlabs, a startup with operations in North Carolina and Cape Town, South Africa, which is focused on using precision fermentation to synthesize a new kind of lactoferrin. I had to read up on this myself, but Lactoferrin, is a nutrient found exclusively in milk from mammals. It’s in human breast milk, but commonly it’s harvest from cow’s milk and sold as an ingredient for infan...

Topics covered

  • lab-generated food
  • precision fermentation
  • sustainable nutrition
  • health benefits
  • climate impact

Keywords

  • lactoferrin
  • precision fermentation
  • sustainable food
  • healthier alternatives
  • climate launch prize

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: De Novo Foodlabs

Products: lactoferrin

Places: North Carolina, Cape Town, South Africa

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