A probiotic cell-factory for production and delivery of supplements

In this project Sasya aims to develop a tailored probiotic strain that is capable of directly producing nutrients in the GI tract of the host animal where they are absorbed. Specifically we will initially target the US broiler feed market mainly because of large market size dependency on expensive ingredients in the feed for profitability and an excellent support system for subject matter expertise and supply chain logistics. The broiler market is under duress from the constrained use of medicated feed in diets which afforded heavier birds and desperately seeking alternatives. A probiotic-mediated delivery of judiciously selected nutrients holds the promise to fill the void as an antibiotic alternative and can alleviate the need for dietary supplementation with improved bioavailability. Successful on-farm broiler studies suggested comfortable margins warranting further development. Building on these results in Phase II Sasya will genetically engineer probiotic strains of bacteria by assembling biosynthetic pathways for producing nutrients and fine- tuning their expression to balance product formation with gut colonization. To prevent the undesired proliferation of GMO strains we will also implement biocontainment measures. We will also develop a viable production process to mass-produce the new probiotic and test its efficacy in broilers. We plan to build on our contract production and sales partnerships to enable rapid market penetration. If successful this project represents significant innovation in the formulation of animal feed and directly supports USDA NIFA goals of providing safe nutritious food and expanding opportunities for economic development in rural and tribal communities.