DECEMBER 2023LIFE SCIENCES REVIEW 19serves as CSO, continuing his scholarly pursuits as a Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University. Their leadership is complemented by COO Amin Premji, a veteran entrepreneur with a notable background in the specialist plastics industry.Driving Ecological Efficiency in DistillationLyteGro's innovation stands at the intersection of efficiency and sustainability, empowering the distilling and bioenergy sectors to streamline processes and amplify yield. The increased productivity enables users to become more profitable whilst at the same time improving their sustainability by significantly reducing the feedstock, water, and energy footprints of their production processes.Take, for example, Propagreater--a product specifically engineered as a yeast pre-treatment for distillers to optimise alcohol fermentations. A six-hour pre-treatment with Propagreater can halve fermentation times and boost alcohol yield by an impressive 10 to 20 percent. Distilleries can attain their production targets with fewer cycles, conserving time and resources and smaller distilleries now have a low-cost solution enabling them to potentially double their output without having to purchase new equipment or expand their facilities.A critical impact assessment performed by Critical Future, a specialist London-based consultancy underlined the substantial benefits of a single LyteGro production plant producing 250,000 litres of Propagreater. Its output can enable distillers to bring about remarkable annual savings of around 20,000 tons of CO2 emissions, over 10,000 tons of feedstock, and 83 million litres of drinkable water."Our technology not only advances industry efficiency but also conserves millions of litres of clean waterfor public use," says Dr Andrew Lee, CEO of LyteGro.It's a win-win for both the industry and the environment.A Circular Factory of the FutureProductivity, progress, and patents are the three trajectories firmly rooted in LyteGro's sustainable future.The company is gearing up to secure over 4 million pounds through a Series A funding round in early 2024. This capital is earmarked to establish a state-of-the-art production facility in the U.K., which will specialise in crafting Propagreater for the burgeoning UK and European distillery markets.Its ascent to this juncture is propelled by strategic alliances, notably with the UK government's innovation arm, Innovate UK. LyteGro's participation in an Innovate UK-sponsored delegation at the AFTEA 23 agrifood expo in Singapore led to meetings with the ambassador, the CEO of the Earthshot Prize, and various companies. These interactions will facilitate the expansion of LyteGro's intellectual property portfolio into new and exciting sectors and has resulted in the exploration of production partnerships in Southeast Asia.The ongoing support from Innovate UK has already started bearing fruit in multiple arenas. LyteGro has received grant support to partner with the BEACON Biorefinery at Aberystwyth University, where they have prepared comprehensive manufacturing protocols and quality control procedures for their products at a large pilot scale, using waste banana feedstock from fruit and fresh produce company Fyffes UK.The support also allowed LyteGRo to set up trials with distillers across the UK, facilitating the Propagreater's full-scale industry validation. These trials have showcased its efficacy in alcohol fermentation processes with diverse feedstocks like grain, molasses, potatoes, sugar cane and even peas.Looking ahead, LyteGro is charting a course for the future with a fully circular production model brought to life by its upcoming factory. This facility, with the striking capability to produce a quarter million litres of Propagreater, is set to become the true definition of sustainability. Designed to be a BacLyte and its derived products act like `steroids for microbes,' enabling users to reduce process times and increase efficiency, resulting in superior yields and heightened productivity
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