At IFF, we believe in the power of biotechnology to make positive progress for people and planet. And we have the expertise to harness it, with leading science, engineering and microbiome capabilities that will transform tomorrow.
Powered by decades of bioscience innovation and some of the brightest minds in the industry, we’re unlocking nature’s capabilities together with our customers to deliver real-world impact.
We call this Bioscience for Life.
Bioscience for Impact
Problem-solving power
The world is evolving rapidly, driven by global trends that are reshaping consumer demands and market dynamics. From the rising pursuit of health and wellness to a global aging population, these trends present both unprecedented challenges and opportunities.
In response to these trends—and our unsustainable dependence on petroleum—we leverage the living systems and organisms such as proteins and microbes to create products at scale, harnessing renewable raw materials and converting them into the energy and products for society to thrive.
Explore the Power of Bioscience
See how our customers are having a real-world impact on some of the most pressing challenges facing society today:
Grain Processing
Yeasts and enzymes used in the production of fuel ethanol are estimated to enable 17.9 million MT of avoided CO2e emissions per year; equivalent to 44.5 billion miles driven or 1.8 million times around the earth.
BREWING
Enzymes can cut CO2 emissions by 36%, non-renewable energy by 47% and water use by 41%, without affecting product quality. This supports over 1,500 brewing companies in their journey to become net-zero by 2050.
Food Bioscience
IFF enzymes used in food production are used to optimize production processes and reduce costs, which in turn lowers the price of consumer products in markets around the world.
Bioscience for Possibilities
Re-defining what's possible
With over 5,200 patents granted and filed, supported by a global innovation, manufacturing, and sales network, we offer the broadest range of bioscience solutions, transforming markets and everyday lives. From laundry to livestock, biofuels to baking and beyond—IFF bioscience is helping reduce production costs, minimize raw material usage, and deliver superior product performance across markets.
A holistic approach to animal health
Global demand for high-quality protein has increased the need for more sustainable animal protein sources. Our broad product portfolio for the animal nutrition industry is centered on a uniquely holistic view of animal health that we call “Nutribiosis”—the intersection between nutrition, microbiome, gut & immune function. This integrated approach is uncovering exciting new insights and helping enable antibiotic-free and more sustainable livestock production.
Know probiotics? Know IFF.
You may already know IFF as market leader in bioscience, but did you know we also offer one of the broadest ranges of probiotics?
Through industry-leading clinical research, we design and innovate across the microbiome, brain health, immunity and more. Our comprehensive capabilities span from developing individual probiotic strains to manufacturing finished products under stringent quality standards.
Investing in Bioscience with Patents
Of IFF’s patents and pending applications, around 70% of those are for technologies related to bioscience and health.
According to Jen Johnson, EVP, General Counsel, this investment and commitment ensures we can continuously bring the broadest solutions and technology innovation to our customers.
Bioscience for Breakthroughs
World-leading scientists. World-changing bioscience.
At IFF, the value we bring lies in the unparalleled expertise of our pioneering scientists. These experts combine deep cross-category knowledge with leading formulation expertise to develop superior offerings that make a real-world impact across industries.
But don’t take our word for it—meet some of the minds who are bringing IFF bioscience breakthroughs to market today.
“Using inspiration from natural biotransformation, we have developed an advanced biotechnology called Designed Enzyamatic Biomaterials, or "DEB". Just like a plant uses carbon dioxide, the sun, and nutrients from the soil to grow into a tree, DEB is a process that uses sucrose or other natural ingredients and enzymes under mild process conditions to create polysaccharides that combine the purity and consistency of synthetic polymers used today. It is our latest breakthrough technology to create high performance, nature-inspired alpha glucans that combine the benefit of natural and synthetic polymers.”
Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials
What if you could combine the stability and consistency of synthetic polymers with the sustainability profile of natural polysaccharides? Over a decade in the making, IFF’s transformational Designed Enzymatic Biopolymers (DEB) technology has done just that, bringing together the best of synthetic and natural polymers to deliver commercial products that do more good.
What do customers look for in a biotech partner?
According to Casper Vroemen, VP Research & Development, they seek solutions not just to today's challenges, but into the future. R&D at IFF enables that forward thinking with deep scientific expertise, combined with a unique ability to scale cutting-edge bioscience to industrial volumes. (We think it's cool, too!)
“It's an exciting opportunity. Protein engineering today has ultimately become a data science challenge. But AI tools alone won't get us there. You have to understand both worlds, the computer sciences and the life sciences, to ask the right questions and to understand the data. You need to keep in constant contact with experimental scientists. You could have generated an enzyme that is superactive, but don't know how well it expresses from an industrial point of view.”
AI-Designed Enzymes
IFF scientists are also using AI to further push the boundaries of enzyme development. Similar to consumer tools like ChatGPT that use data from written language to generate text, these AI models are trained on data obtained from proteins to predict enzyme activity. These tools can propose thousands of new enzyme variants that scientists may not have found using traditional screening and selection methods.
Bioscience for progress
100 years of
looking ahead
For decades, we have been pioneers in harnessing the immense potential of nature and biology. When the world was still mesmerized by the possibilities of petrochemicals, we saw the power in bio-based solutions derived from nature.
Bringing together some of the world’s greatest scientific minds with over a century of expertise from our combined heritage companies, we approach challenges through a unique lens. This perspective lets us dream big—while staying grounded in driving innovation that makes a real-world impact.
The birth of modern industrial biotechnology
For over four decades, IFF has pioneered the Home & Personal Care Market, revolutionizing biobased enzymes for laundry detergents. Our groundbreaking work began with Genencor’s innovation in the '70s and '80s, leading to the world's first commercial engineered enzyme for laundry in 1987. This enduring legacy drives our pursuit of sustainable, high-performance solutions, propelling us and our customers into a greener, more efficient future.
“We’re applying science and technology to go after generational challenges, environmental challenges, and the things that drive our customers forward into the future.”
SCOTT POWER
IFF FELLOW AND EARLY GENENCOR EMPLOYEE
Photo: the early lab team who developed the first protease for laundry detergents
Bioscience for Success
Collaboration at the core
At IFF, “partnership” is more than a buzzword. Our collaborative lab environment, working side-by-side with customers, enables us to shape five-year product roadmaps and bring pioneering bioscience solutions to market faster than competitors.
As a trusted partner, our greatest strength lies in co-creating customized solutions from concept to execution—validating performance, developing model systems, and conducting scale-up testing for seamless transition into production.
Co-Creation: the future of biotech innovation
As the President of the Health & Biosciences division at IFF, Simon Herriott knows a thing or two about biotech—and what makes a business succeed. According to him, collaborating with our customers is not just a beneficial business strategy; it’s imperitive to keeping pace with the speed and cost of innovation today.
“We HAVE to work with our customers. Because the speed of innovation and cost of innovation now is so great, that to really ensure that we are successful, and our customers are successful, we actually have to work hand in glove with each other. We have to be working on an iterative basis to prototype, to pilot solutions in our customers' applications. So it's pretty usual these days for us to see our customers scientists working in the laboratory right next to our own scientists thinking about how we can harness the capabilities we have in their applications. I think that's the future of innovation.”
