A researcher at the laboratory. [Photo/WeChat account of Qingcheng Rongmei]

Inner Mongolia Scitop Biotechnology Co (Scitop Bio) has established the world's largest lactic acid bacteria germplasm resource bank and genome database in Hohhot, breaking the foreign monopoly on strains, technology, and products.

Lactic acid bacteria, a key microbial resource, are widely used in health foods, dairy processing, animal husbandry, and drug development. However, foreign enterprises dominate over 80 percent of the market, restricting China's industry growth.

To overcome this, Scitop Bio has collaborated with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University and other partners, assembling a top-tier research and development team led by Professor Zhang Heping. Their efforts have resulted in a collection of 45,000 lactic acid bacteria strains, genome sequencing for 6500 strains, and the selection of 10 high-quality strains. This has also led to a fifteenfold increase in industrial-scale cultivation efficiency.

Breakthroughs have been made in plant and animal probiotics, including the localization of high-activity silage fermentation agents and the development of 15 new ruminant nutrition and disease-resistant products, seven of which have entered the market. The project's output value is expected to exceed 100 million yuan ($13.81 million) this year.

These advancements will enhance China's lactic acid bacteria industry by providing new strains and complete production technologies, boosting technological innovation and contributing to the nation's "Healthy China" strategy.