Eclipse Ingredients Emerges From Stealth, Raising $7M AUD for Human Lactoferrin Made With Precision Fermentation
Australian biotech startup Eclipse Ingredients (not to be confused with US-based alt-dairy brand Eclipse Foods) has emerged from stealth after raising $7 million AUD in funding. Eclipse Ingredients aims to provide widespread access to previously inaccessible health ingredients, starting with human lactoferrin — a protein found throughout the body, including in breast milk and immune cells. The startup will achieve this with precision fermentation technology, using engineered yeast to sustainably produce the ingredient at an industrial scale. Traditional lactoferrin extraction reportedly requires 10,000 litres of cow’s milk to produce just one kilogram, and bovine lactoferrin is structurally different from what human bodies produce. Research indicates that lactoferrin can fight inflammation and infection, support immune health and the microbiome, and boost iron absorption, but currently the …