LEBANON, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mascoma Corporation, a renewable fuels company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine has completed its scientific review and supports the use of TransFerm Yield+, a bioengineered yeast, as a processing aid in the production of animal feed, which is a by-product of the corn ethanol conversion process. TransFerm Yield+ is a drop-in substitute for conventional fermenting yeast that lowers costs and improves efficiencies for corn ethanol producers by improving ethanol yield from corn and alleviating the need to purchase a significant amount of the expensive glucoamylase enzymes. It is the latest commercial application of Mascoma’s proprietary consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) technology platform.
“We are pleased with the FDA's favorable review of TransFerm Yield+, our next generation bioengineered yeast, and are proud to have achieved this important milestone,” stated Bill Brady, President and CEO of Mascoma. “Our innovative CBP technology platform, coupled with our scientific and regulatory affairs capabilities, have successfully brought two products, TransFerm and now TransFerm Yield+, to the fuel ethanol market. We are focused on establishing our CBP technology platform as the industry standard in the conversion of biomass to replacements for petroleum products and look forward to rapidly developing and commercializing additional products that further improve the economics and efficiencies of corn ethanol and cellulosic ethanol production.”
Mascoma’s first bioengineered yeast product, TransFerm, has been commercially available for a little more than a year and previously received a new feed ingredient definition from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) following favorable review from the FDA. AAFCO maintains a listing of currently accepted feed ingredient definitions in its Official Publication and any new definitions are approved by AAFCO following completion of a scientific review by the FDA. Mascoma is seeking inclusion of TransFerm Yield+ in AAFCO’s Official Publication in order to maximize the product’s marketability. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has sent a letter to AAFCO in support of establishing a new feed ingredient definition for TransFerm Yield+, based on a favorable review of the safety and utility of the product.
In pilot-scale tests at ICM, the leading provider of engineering services to the ethanol industry, and commercial-scale trials at corn ethanol producers, TransFerm Yield+ has consistently demonstrated ethanol yield improvements of up to 4%. Commercial-scale trials are currently underway at several corn ethanol producers.
Both TransFerm and TransFerm Yield+ are manufactured and distributed by Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits, a global provider of fermentation ingredients to the fuel ethanol industry, and jointly marketed and sold by Mascoma and Lallemand through their exclusive partnership.
About Mascoma
Mascoma Corporation is a renewable fuels company that has developed innovative technology for the low-cost conversion of abundant biomass. Using its proprietary consolidated bioprocessing, or CBP, technology platform, Mascoma has developed bioengineered yeasts and other microorganisms to reduce costs and improve yields in the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Mascoma’s first commercial application of its CBP technology is its Mascoma Grain Technology, or MGT®, yeast products, which are drop-in substitutes for existing yeasts designed to improve the economics of corn-based ethanol production. Mascoma is pursuing other commercial applications of its CBP technology and is partnering with companies that operate or plan to operate facilities that produce cellulosic ethanol, as well as working with collaborators to develop and construct commercial scale facilities to convert woody biomass to cellulosic ethanol.
TransFerm is a registered trademark of Mascoma Corporation and Lallemand Specialties, Inc.; MGT is a registered trademark of Mascoma Corporation.
