The position has been filled Project & Laboratory Manager Do you want to make a difference in sustainable food and feed production? Fermentationexperts A/S is looking for a Project and Laboratory Manager to lead research and development projects, perform laboratory analyses, and coordinate testing carried out by external laboratories. Your tasks will include: Optimisation ofRead more about Project & Laboratory Manager[...]
]]>The position has been filled
Project & Laboratory Manager
Do you want to make a difference in sustainable food and feed production?
Fermentationexperts A/S is looking for a Project and Laboratory Manager to lead research and development projects, perform laboratory analyses, and coordinate testing carried out by external laboratories.
Your tasks will include:
- Optimisation of fermentation processes for both existing and new products
- Analysing and documenting fermented products
- Conducting data analysis and generating reports
- Project management of international research projects
- Applications for research funding
- Ad hoc tasks
To succeed in this role, you should be self-motivated, skilled at building relationships, and possess strong organisational skills. These qualities will help you initiate internal fermentation projects and carry out Fermentationexperts’ responsibilities in international collaborations.
You will be working alongside 23 colleagues based at various locations, but you will be the only person based in the laboratory. Therefore, it’s essential that you can both lead and carry out the work hands-on.
We expect that you have experience and an educational background in biotechnology/biochemistry or a related field. Experience with microbiology, protein chemistry, and enzymology is an advantage. As reporting and communication are primarily conducted in English, fluency in both written and spoken English is required.
About us:
At Fermentationexperts A/S, we have a flat organisational structure, a high degree of employee involvement, and the flexibility to plan your workday as needed. We operate as a team, and all employees are part of a profit-sharing scheme. You will also be included in the company pension plan and health insurance, as well as our employee social club.
Work location:
We prefer a location near our laboratory in Jelling and Vejen, where Fermentationexperts’ head office is situated. However, we are flexible regarding work location and will strive to accommodate your preferences if you are willing to plan regular visits to our sites. Some travel is expected for participation in international project meetings, that occur a few times a year. The position can be designed as either part-time or full-time.
Fermentationexperts A/S is a family-owned R&D company specialising in solid-state lactic acid fermentation. The company provides consultancy services and licenses for the production of fermented protein and ingredients for the feed and food industries. Fermentationexperts is the parent company of four fermentation plants in Denmark, Ukraine, the USA, and Malaysia, as well as a Danish pilot plant that produces fermented ingredients for the food industry.
For questions regarding the position, please contact:
Chief Scientific Officer, Rikke Matthiesen at rim@fexp.eu or Advisor, Søren Kjærulff, at kjaerulff@hotmail.com.
Application Process
We are seeking to fill the position as soon as possible and will conduct interviews on a rolling basis. Please send your CV and a motivated application to: rim@fexp.eu, with the subject line “Project & Laboratory Manager”
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Copenhagen University and Fermentationexperts, who produces complementary lactic acid fermented protein, just finished testing different types of complementary feeds ability to replace zinc oxide in pig production without increasing the amount of antibiotics used or the farmers production cost. The results will be made public on the ZERO ZINC Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark on theRead more about New pig trial: Tomorrows protein can replace zinc oxide and add health benefits – with no extra costs[...]
]]>Copenhagen University and Fermentationexperts, who produces complementary lactic acid fermented protein, just finished testing different types of complementary feeds ability to replace zinc oxide in pig production without increasing the amount of antibiotics used or the farmers production cost. The results will be made public on the ZERO ZINC Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 17th and 18th of June.
“We often see feeding trials where protein has been reduced to minimize diarrhoea – this affects the growth and has a negative impact on the farmers bottom line. We need to present a solution with a standard amount of protein, that is financially sustainable for the farmer”, says Jens Legarth, CEO of Fermentationexperts.
The feeding regimes
Consequently, a trial on three groups of pigs with the three following feed regimes was carried out:
- Basic diet – control group
- Basic diet added 2.500 ppm zinc oxide group
- Basic diet added 10 % EP100i group
All diets contained the standard amount of protein added highly digestible plant protein. The results are both on one hand expected and on the other hand very surprising for EUROPEAN PROTEIN.
“We learned from a pilot study that we can replace zinc without increasing mortality and feed cost for the farmer. It was new to us, that prescribed zinc seemed to damage the immune system hampering the inflammation response in the gut. We now have enough evidence to prove, that fermented plant protein does the exact opposite, namely enforcing the immune system and thereby reducing the risk of gut inflammation.”, Jens Legarth concludes.
Zink influences the gut bacteria – just as fermented protein
The diversity in the gut bacteria and the balance of beneficial versus the commensal bacteria in the gut is important for the pig’s overall health and wellbeing.
What the trial showed, was that zinc oxide increased the diversity of the bacteria and allowed much more lactic acid bacteria to be present in the gut. The beneficial bacteria then repressed the bacteria causing illness and created a balanced gut that supports pig health. This is one of the reasons why zinc oxide effectively handles diarrhoea.
When comparing the diversity and balance of the three feeding regimes, it was found, that lactic acid fermented protein, altered the gut bacteria very similar to that of zinc oxide. In both cases, the amount of lactic acid bacteria was more than doubled, the diversity improved, and the balance was restored. The basal diet had no positive influence on the diversity, nor did it promote lactic acid bacteria.
“We didn’t expect to find that zinc oxide has a similar modulating effect on the gut bacteria as fermented protein. The similarity is striking, and might be the reason as to why EP100i has been successful when it comes to supporting gut health, says Jens Legarth.”
Previous trials showed, that the diversity created by EP100i is consistent when the supplement is added – and that the supplement won’t trigger resistance.
The right feed improves the immune system and feed uptake
The immune system of the young piglets is fragile and easily influenced by the complementary feeding solutions supplemented. Making sure that a well-functioning immune system is developed, makes sense for both the pigs well-being but also for the bottom line when it comes to battling illness and ensuring a better feed uptake. The trial shows that the right feed can make a difference in the development of the immune system and feed uptake.
A high feed uptake depends on the pig’s ability to absorb nutrients. A gut that is “well equipped” is more likely to absorb nutrients effectively thus ensuring a better use of the feed. The trial shows, that zinc oxide and EP100i both have a positive development of intestinal mucosa, where villi and crypts developed larger in pigs – both significantly better than the control group.
Builds an armour against causative bacteria
The thickness of the gut barrier or lining shows how effective it is to prevent causative bacteria finding their way into the blood stream of the pigs. The barrier works as an armour against bacteria causing illness. The trial showed, that pigs fed with fermented protein significantly improved the thickness of the gut barrier compared to the control group. Zinc had a less positive effect on the lining compared to EP100i.
Zink causes inflammation
Gut inflammation is a common and widespread problem in pig production. Though, zinc oxide effectively treats diarrhoea it is also – just as antibiotics – a generous contributor of gut inflammation. When sampling the tissue of the piglets from the three different feed regimes, we found, that pigs fed on zinc oxide had a less developed immune system as compared to EP100i, and that the zinc oxide-pigs suffered from severe gut inflammation.
“The use of zinc simply pushes the problem to a later stage in the pig production and ensures a continues need for antibiotics as the pig has no immune system left to fight of infections. The solution is antibiotics that contributes to an even weaker gut barrier, making room for further bacteria to enter the blood stream. It is a vicious circle, that we attempt to fight with the use of lactic acid fermented protein”, Jens Legarth argues.
Plant-protein pays off
The product EP100i has been tested in several pig productions, and the overall results have been the same. Fermented plant protein can replace more expensive proteins like fishmeal and blood plasma and at the same time replace zinc oxide without compromising the production results. Pig farmers can save both the expensive animal protein and the cost of zinc-oxide. That’s why plant protein pays off.
Want to know more about the background and details of the trial?
If you want to learn more and see the data, then join FERMENTATIONEXPERTS poster session on the ZERO ZINC SUMMIT in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 17th and 18th of June, where the results and the background will be made public.
]]>At EuroTier 2018, our CTO from Fermentationexperts was invited to present the newest findings from the company’s research for feed. Watch the recordings here:
]]>At EuroTier 2018, our CTO from Fermentationexperts was invited to present the newest findings from the company’s research for feed.
Watch the recordings here:
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New study shows that fermented feed can replace zinc oxide in piglet feed New study shows that fermented feed can replace zinc oxide in piglet feed while providing better production results at lower feed costs. A result that will help farmers to maintain piglets healthy after the proposed phase-out of zinc oxide in 2022. NewRead more about Fermented feed can replace zinc in pig feed[...]
]]>New study shows that fermented feed can replace zinc oxide in piglet feed
New study shows that fermented feed can replace zinc oxide in piglet feed while providing better production results at lower feed costs. A result that will help farmers to maintain piglets healthy after the proposed phase-out of zinc oxide in 2022.
New research project shows that fermented feed called EP100i, containing fermented rapeseed protein, can replace zinc in pigs’ feed. The study shows that pigs fed with EP100i achieve the same or better growth rate than pigs fed with zinc oxide.
The research project, under the name MAB4, has been conducted in collaboration between Fermentationexperts AS and the University of Copenhagen, DTU, DTI, and others – and is supported by Innovationsfonden.
In the study, the pigs were divided into a positive and negative zinc oxide group, and another seven groups that received different quantities of EP100i in the feed. The positive group received 2,500 ppm zinc oxide in the feed, while in the negative group piglets did not get any added zinc. Results show that the piglets fed with EP100i without addition of zinc, actually achieved similar or better growth rates compared with pigs receiving zinc in their feed. Another beneficial difference was that the rations with EP100i contained lower amounts of expensive proteins and decreased the ration costs with about 5%.
Director of Fermentationexperts AS Jens Legarth says: “I am very pleased with the results and conclusions of the study. It shows that feeding EP100i is an economic alternative to zinc in animal production. In addition, these results are important to us in Fermentationexperts AS in our further research in the field, and show us we are on the right track! ”
Presentation of the study can be found here. Video with Mette Olaf Nielsen’s presentation can be seen here.
Data sheet on EP100i can be found here: https://www.europeanprotein.com/produkter/ep-100i-2/
For further information:
Jens Legarth, Director, mobile: +45 2334 9334 or email: jel@fexp.eu
Background information:
Fermentationexperts AS is a knowledge and development company focused primarily on the development of lactic acid fermented protein feed for livestock such as pigs, poultry and pets. They have production facilities in Denmark, the US and Ukraine. In order to always be updated with the latest knowledge, Fermentationexperts AS collaborates with universities and other biotech companies. The developed products are produced at European Protein AS – a subsidiary of Fermentationexperts AS. For further information see: www.fermentationexperts.com
Søren Kjærulff appointed new CTO in Fermentationexperts AS Fermentationexperts AS has announced the appointment of Søren Kjærulff as its Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for human applications. In parallel with this position, Søren is also appointed CEO of FermBiotics ApS, which is a new company where the development, production and sales of products for human useRead more about New CTO in Fermentationexperts AS[...]
]]>Søren Kjærulff appointed new CTO in Fermentationexperts AS
Fermentationexperts AS has announced the appointment of Søren Kjærulff as its Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for human applications. In parallel with this position, Søren is also appointed CEO of FermBiotics ApS, which is a new company where the development, production and sales of products for human use will be placed. He will assume the responsibilities on 1 June 2017.
In order to meet the strategic aims of the company, it has been decided to create this new position. Many new development initiatives are being initiated, and additional competencies are needed to meet the growing prospects.
“I am pleased to announce that we have now found our new CTO for human applications as well as CEO of our new sister company, FermBiotics, says Jens Legarth, CEO. “By employing Søren Kjærulff, Fermentationexperts will get a strong CTO with huge experience in the fields of biopharma R&D, business development, and products for human applications”.
Søren Kjærulff comes from a position as Director at Novozymes, where he has been responsible for Biopharma R&D, including the discovery and development of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drug candidates, and has also been responsible for building a lactic acid bacteria platform. Moreover, Søren holds a Ph.D. from Copenhagen University in molecular biology. He has published several scientific papers and is the co-inventor of several patents.
“Jens and I have had the opportunity to meet on different occasions about our participation in research projects nationally and internally. It is clear for both of us that our competencies complement each other very well and we see a great potential in the existing products applied for human use”, says Søren Kjærulff.
In FermBiotics, it is expected that we will be able to deliver products to people suffering from different kinds of diseases related to intestinal health, e.g. inflammatory bowel diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, staphylococci, and streptococci infections. “The preliminary results are very positive, and hopefully we will have products on the market soon”, says Jens Legarth.
“I have been very positively surprised by the many data generated by Fermentationexperts and scientific collaborators, and I am looking forward to being part of the fantastic development of fermented products for the human health area,” says Søren Kjærulff.
Facts
With production plants located worldwide, Fermentationexperts works with universities and key biotechnology players to create lactic acid fermented feed and health solutions that make a difference. It is now in the early stages of developing fermented health products for human applications.
For additional information
Jens Legarth, CEO, phone: +45 2334 9334 or e-mail: jel@fexp.eu
Søren Kjærulff, CTO, phone: +45 3133 4080 or e-mail: sk@fexp.eu