Biotechnologies
We deliver tailored R&D services to create new product opportunities in the fields of biotechnology, biological materials and bioprocessing.
Our experts have helped businesses develop new food and health products derived from sources such as meat, dairy, plant, honey, seafood, and fermentation broths, transforming materials into high-value products such as nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and food ingredients.
We provide the science and skills to help you validate your product claims, optimise manufacturing processes and get your products to market faster.
Case studies
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From horses to humans
Case study
Our areas of expertise
The Biotechnologies group provides a coordinated and integrated platform of expertise, capabilities and equipment to conduct research and development, and to support commercialisation.
Natural products chemistry
Demonstrated experience in the isolation and identification of bioactive compounds in extracts, and analysis of metabolites and small molecules from sources such as plants, bees, fish and dairy.
Lipids
A world-leading team with expertise in generating niche high-value and complex lipid ingredients for export markets, developed using a suite of fractionation, chemical and enzymatic synthesis technologies.
Process engineering
We develop and evaluate industrial manufacturing processes for products derived from natural materials. This includes process modelling, optimisation, and scale-up from lab to pilot production.
Fermentation, Bioprocessing and Microbiology
As an MPI-approved facility, we undertake commercial projects to research, develop and produce microorganisms, intermediates and metabolites using fermentation processes. Projects cover proof of concept bench-scale through to 1000L pilot scale. We offer a broad microbiology service with the ability to handle genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and can perform food grade fermentation, plus product prototyping for agritech, human and animal health.
Protein science
Our protein science teams are specialists in molecular biology and protein bioprocessing, with expertise in biochemistry, genetic engineering, extraction, isolation, and characterisation of bioactive proteins and peptides from a wide range of sources.
Analytical services
We offer an integrated analytical service to support projects and product development, having access to a range of high-end scientific instruments, equipment and expertise such as NMR and mass spectrometry.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy
We can help you prove and protect the quality of your products with state-of-the-art Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy technology which includes the leading-edge FoodScreenerTM platform.
Food Processing Technology
We develop and demonstrate food processing technologies to assist Food & Beverage businesses to produce high-value food products and ingredients, and to recover value from primary processing by-product streams.
Consultancy
Our highly-skilled scientists and engineers can work with you to solve your biotechnology problems and improve your products and processes.
We can help with
Developing high-value products from biological materials
Using our unique facilities, we assist in the transformation of biological materials into high-value products such as nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, foods and food ingredients, and natural agrochemicals.
An integrated biotechnology platform
We can accelerate your innovation by providing an integrated range of expertise and capabilities that allow end-to-end product development, improving development timelines and reducing risk. We help support new product concepts and develop the novel processing technologies to make them.
Improving product development, performance and quality
We have a comprehensive suite of equipment to develop, improve and validate your products. This is supported by our analytical and instrument capability to validate product quality, composition and functionality.
MPI-approved facilities
Our MPI-registered facility houses a range of fermentation and production capabilities (up to 1,000L), with downstream processing, filtration and metabolite extraction expertise on-site. We have food-grade facilities to support manufacture, processing and scale-up of food products and work closely with the New Zealand Food Innovation Network (NZFIN), including the FoodBowl.
Commercialisation of biotechnology
We understand the complexity of biotechnological systems, the challenges of production processes, and drivers in the commercial market. As a highly qualified workforce of professional scientists and engineers we work creatively using our deep technical knowledge to solve difficult challenges through consultancy, contracted work and secondment arrangements.
Our people
Within Callaghan Innovation’s Biotechnologies Group, we have world-class scientists and engineers who combine international experience with solid business and industry connections. Meet our group.