“The science is ready – now we need to take action.”
A conversation with experts Kevin Verstrepen and Irina Borodina on unlocking the microbial future
Microbes are revolutionizing everything from food and farming to medicine and materials. At the third edition of the VIB Conference Emerging Applications of Microbes, researchers from around the world will gather to explore how microbial engineering, biodiversity, and synthetic biology are reshaping science and society.
We spoke with organizing committee members Prof. Kevin Verstrepen (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology) and Prof. Irina Borodina (Technical University of Denmark) about what they’re most excited about, what still stands in the way of our microbial future, and how we can move from discovery to large-scale impact.
Hi both, thanks for taking the time! Could you introduce yourself to the readers?
Kevin: I am a professor and researcher at VIB-KU Leuven, specializing in yeast genetics. We use yeast as a model to study complex genetics and apply those insights to improve industrial applications. We use better yeast strains to develop sustainable alternatives for many sectors, from baking and brewing to pharmaceuticals and bioplastics.
Irina: I am professor at the Technical University of Denmark, specializing in yeast metabolic engineering. My work combines fundamental methods with real-world applications. For example, we engineered yeast to produce insect sex pheromones for insect pest control in agriculture. This technology was the basis for start-up BioPhero, now part of FMC Inc. And the first pheromone product against fall armyworm hit the market in Brazil this summer and is a great success.. We also created yeast that produce ergothioneine, an antioxidant found in mushrooms, melatonin, and food colorants like betalains.
Which speakers or sessions at the conference are you personally most excited about?
Irina: I think all speakers are very exciting! I am particularly interested in the session on microbial food technologies, especially whole-cell microbial foods. This is a field we are pioneering at YetiFoods, a recently launched company focused on developing edible, genetically engineered yeast with a high sustainability and safety profile. We are the first to use genetic engineering for this purpose, and I’m curious to learn what others are doing in this area. I am also curious about applications in agriculture using genetically engineered microbes.
Kevin: I am especially excited about the sessions involving yeast applications. Talks by Vayu Hill-Maini, who works on using fungi to produce foods like meat alternatives from waste products, and Evelien Peeters, who is using fungi to make materials like leather alternatives, stand out to me. These applications show how fungi can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating real products. Food that tastes great and handbags that look like leather help lower the barrier for sustainable consumer choices.
What are the most exciting or underappreciated microbial applications on the horizon, according to you?
Kevin: Exploring microbial biodiversity is a huge opportunity.
Most current applications rely on a few model organisms like baker’s yeast and E. coli. But there are thousands of other microbes and even strain-level diversity we have not tapped into.
Thanks to new technologies like CRISPR and automated screening, we can now work with many of them more easily. It is an exciting shift.
Irina: That’s true, and one area that has definitely been overlooked as well is engineering microbes for agriculture. So far, only one major commercial example exists. The company PivotBio engineered nitrogen-fixing bacteria that reduces the need for mineral nitrogen fertilizer. That is a major breakthrough that will help bring down nitric oxide emissions - nitric oxide is actually 300-times more potent than CO2 - and eutrophication from the fields. Furthermore, this bacterium can increase the crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries where mineral fertilizers are too expensive or unavailable. Regulatory hurdles have held this area back, especially in the EU, but it has huge potential.
Besides these regulatory hurdles, what are the biggest challenges we still face in turning microbial discoveries into real-world solutions?
Irina: Interestingly, often the regulatory barriers are caused by public acceptance. For example, even if the European Food Safety Authority deems a GM product safe, political decisions may block it based on perceived public resistance to GM microbes. Besides the regulatory barriers, the economic competitiveness of bio-solutions against fossil-derived products is a big issue that requires governmental policies. According to the Cambridge Judge Business School report from 2015, the petrochemical industry would NOT be profitable if we accounted for the hidden costs to society, such as health impacts, environmental impacts, and climate change. If policies, such as carbon tax and similar ones, are enforced, many bio-based solutions will be more economically attractive than fossil-based ones.
Kevin: I agree, cost-competitiveness is a major issue. Microbial products cannot always compete – yet - with ultra-cheap conventional ones like palm oil or petrochemicals. However, with the newest technologies, we are getting closer. For example, we could engineer yeast to make animal-like fats that are price-competitive. However, we also need investments in infrastructure like fermenters and factories. Governments should support these initiatives more and help phase out less sustainable industries.
Are there any misconceptions about microbes you often find yourself correcting, even among scientists?
Kevin: People still associate microbes with disease, but they don’t realize how essential they are for many industries and our health. We have more microbial cells in our body than human cells. Some say humans are just reservoirs for microbes [laughs]. They affect digestion, immunity, brain health, and more. That whole field is in its infancy, but the possibilities are endless, and this is also an important topic covered at the conference.
Irina: I would say many people already rely on genetically modified microbes, but are not aware of it. Just think of laundry detergents, processed foods, and medicines like insulin. Companies often hide the fact that these are made by GM microbes out of fear, which reinforces public concern. It is a cycle that can only be broken through education and transparency.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Irina: Most people in the industrial biotechnology field want to make a positive impact, but it is hard when the supportive policies are not there. I would tell my younger self to keep going.
Even if the impact is not immediate, you are still making a difference. If not now, then for the future.
Kevin: Honestly, I am happy with how things turned out. I once wanted to study medicine, but ended up in a yeast lab in South Africa and loved it. I made some non-obvious career choices, like joining a brewing science lab, and they worked out. I would tell my younger self to follow his instincts and be more positive. I always expect the worst, and that creates a lot of stress. My old advisor in South Africa always said whenever I smell roses, I look for a coffin [laughs].
If you had unlimited funding, what experiment or research project would you pursue?
Kevin: I would launch a major initiative to explore microbial diversity. We have studied maybe one percent of microbes. Many cannot be cultured in isolation and depend on their ecosystem. There is enormous potential for society in understanding them better.
Irina: I would focus on technologies that help us stay within our planetary boundaries. Although many approaches and technologies already exist. What is missing is large-scale implementation, policy changes, and behavioral adjustments. We need action now.
If you weren’t a scientist, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
Irina: Since my chemical engineering studies at university, I’ve been fascinated with manufacturing. In fact, I planned to work as an engineer at a biotech factory straight after graduation. Instead, I took MSc and PhD in biotechnology and became a university professor. Funny though, through our start-up BioPhero, we got to build the manufacturing plant. So I got my dream come true anyway. [laughs]
Kevin: I might have become a pilot, but my eyesight was not good enough. Or maybe a criminal. [laughs] I had very hands-off parents and a lot of freedom growing up, but I guess my internal compass and the right friends kept me on the straight path. More realistically, I would probably open a cycling bar in Provence or Calpe when I retire.
What’s a book, podcast, or film that you would recommend to everyone?
Kevin: I would recommend the movie Touching the void. It’s a true inspirational story about mountaineers getting into an accident and trying to get out. I like their resilience, and while the mountaineering stories are more heroic, we as scientists also have the same trait of not giving up, to always get up again and always keep pushing the boundaries.
Irina: I really like the podcast Diary of a CEO. The top scientists and business people coming to these interviews give me lots of inspiration.
Thank you, both!
Want to join the experts? Register for the Emerging Applications of Microbes Conference on 6-7 November. The early bird deadline is 25 September!
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