Zymofix Receives 1.9 Million Euros in Funding for Research on Biological Agricultural Solutions

The Belgian biotech company Zymofix has received a grant of 1.9 million euros from the Flemish innovation agency VLAIO. The funds will go toward the joint research project "MicroFix," which is being carried out in collaboration with Ghent University. The project has a total budget of 3.2 million euros and aims to lay the scientific groundwork for more effective and reliable microbial products in agriculture.

Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture

Microbial products are considered a key component of more sustainable agriculture. However, many of these biological solutions have so far shown varying degrees of effectiveness under real-world conditions.

Rather than focusing solely on identifying new microorganisms, the project investigates how the production processes themselves influence the properties and performance of the microorganisms. The goal is to better understand which factors determine the subsequent effect of these biological products on plants and agricultural systems.

Production Processes

At the heart of the research is the “Zyft” technology platform developed by Zymofix. This is a solid-state fermentation process that uses agricultural byproducts as a growth and formulation substrate.

Unlike traditional liquid fermentation processes, the microorganisms grow directly on solid materials that can later remain part of the final product. The researchers aim to determine how this production method affects properties such as the stability, functionality, and efficacy of the microorganisms.

Over the next three years, experts in microbiology, plant sciences, and data modeling will collaborate to analyze how production conditions relate to the biological properties of the microorganisms and their impact on plants.

Scientific Foundation for More Reliable Products

For Zymofix, the focus is on developing a data-driven understanding. The company aims to better predict how microbial products will behave under various environmental conditions and what effects they will have on plants.

In the long term, the insights gained are intended to help make biological agricultural products more reliable and predictable—a crucial factor for their wider adoption in agriculture.

Boosting the Bioeconomy

In addition to its scientific goals, the project also aims to strengthen the Flemish bioeconomy. The partners anticipate new insights into microbial biotechnology, additional research and development jobs, and increased use of agricultural residues as valuable raw materials.

Through this funding, VLAIO underscores the importance of biological innovations for more sustainable and resource-efficient agriculture. For Zymofix, MicroFix also represents an important step toward further advancing the industrial use of microbial technologies and making their practical application more reliable.