Silab, a specialist in the engineering of natural active ingredients, is commissioning a second production line for single-cell organisms at its unique site within its Unité de Production par Biotechnologies (UPB), inaugurated in 2015.
Given the success of its natural active ingredients derived from micro-organisms, Silab has decided to build a second production line for large-scale cultivation of yeast, microalgae and bacteria. Entirely independent, it comprises a main 15,000 L bioreactor, enabling the company to quadruple its annual production of these high value-added natural raw materials used in the manufacture of its active ingredients.
In fact, these micro-organisms represent a powerful lever for innovation, as Brigitte Closs-Gonthier, Deputy Managing Director, Innovation, Silab, points out: "They offer immense potential, not only because of their diversity, but also because of their incredible metabolism. With this new line, Silab is giving itself the means not only to further diversify its production of microorganisms, but also to master their fascinating properties in order to open up access to unique molecules of interest."
Bringing the manufacture of single-cell organisms in-house is also a key strategic focus, in line with the company's widely-claimed value of independence, as Xavier Gaillard, Deputy Managing Director Strategy, Silab, explains: "This 5 million euro capacity investment is part of a wider 30 million euro investment program that has been carried out over three years. It was motivated by our desire to offer the cosmetics and dermo-cosmetics markets ever more innovative solutions, while meeting today's major challenges of securing, tracing and sustaining supplies."
Thanks to this new automated production facility, which, like the others on the site, offers excellent ergonomics for technicians, Silab intends to increase its share of natural active ingredients derived from micro-organisms, which currently account for 20 % of its catalog.
