- Zymofix has secured €1.9 million from VLAIO to support MicroFix, a €3.2 million collaborative research project with Ghent University.
- The research aims to build a stronger scientific foundation for more predictable biological product performance.
Ghent, Belgium, 24th June 2026 – Zymofix, a Flemish biotech company advancing next-generation solid-state fermentation and formulation to produce microorganisms, has secured €1.9 million in funding from VLAIO, the Flemish Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The grant supports MicroFix, a €3.2 million collaborative research project with Prof. Tina Kyndt from the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University and will focus on establishing a scientific foundation for more predictable microbial product performance.
While microbial products are widely recognised as an important part of sustainable agriculture, their performance in real-world conditions can remain difficult to predict. Rather than focusing solely on microbial strain selection, MicroFix addresses this challenge from a different angle. The project centres on understanding how Zymofix’s manufacturing process influences microbial physiology, functional traits, and ultimately their effectiveness in agricultural systems.
“Microbial solutions have enormous potential, but their performance is still too unpredictable,” said Emile Redant, CEO of Zymofix. “With MicroFix, we aim to understand how our manufacturing technology (Zyft) influences microbial function, allowing us to design more reliable and effective biological products.”
Over the next three years, Zymofix and Ghent University will combine expertise in microbiology, plant science, and modelling to develop a data-driven framework linking Zymofix’s manufacturing conditions to microbial traits and crop performance. The project will generate new insights into how microbial characteristics measured under controlled conditions translate into plant responses under abiotic and biotic stress.
At the core of the project is Zyft, Zymofix’s proprietary solid-state fermentation platform, which uses thermally processed solid substrates derived from agricultural sidestreams as both a growth substrate and formulation matrix. Unlike conventional liquid fermentation, the platform allows microorganisms to be cultivated on a solid substrate that can remain part of the final formulation. MicroFix will help generate a deeper understanding of how this production and formulation approach influences microbial traits, product performance and stability, while also contributing to the use of agricultural sidestreams in biological production systems.
Beyond its scientific objectives, MicroFix is expected to deliver significant impact for Flanders’ bioeconomy. The project will strengthen local expertise in microbial biotechnology, support the creation of high-skilled R&D jobs, and contribute to the valorisation of agricultural sidestreams. In doing so, it supports the transition toward more sustainable and circular agricultural systems.
Full Press Release: PRESS RELEASE_Zymofix – VLAIO Grant
