Ecofriendly biotechnology company OptimusBio, created under the auspices of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is expected to manufacture biotechnology products for commercial use in wastewater treatment, aquaculture and agriculture in the next two years.

The company, led by CSIR chief scientist Dr Raj Lalloo, develops products using a technology platform developed by Lalloo and his team, which stems from years of experience in research and development laboratories, pilot-scale operations and commercial manufacturing.

“The decision for OptimusBio to sell products commercially was the result of identifying the need to expose the ability of products created through biotechnology to impact on the environment positively,” Lalloo says.

He adds that commercialising the technology helps develop young scientists, as the products expose their capabilities, which will be beneficial for different sectors.

“Having headed research for about 15 years, my career has always been about changing lives, educating people and preparing them for real-world industry needs. “Over the years, training and guidance in my work have been in process development, process intensification, process integration and technology management,” Lalloo explains.

Moreover, he mentions that such work is a continuation of the mission to stimulate the local biotechnology industry on behalf of the CSIR and ensure its prominence as an item on the national agenda.

In the past, Lalloo developed 20 technologies that have been commercialised, boasting a yearly revenue of around R200-million and creating 860 jobs. Also in the late 90s, he worked at JSE-listed chemicals group AECI Bioproducts, where he was part of a team that built the biggest fermentation production facility in the southern hemisphere at the time.

Owing to proven success over the years, Lalloo believes that training more students in the biotechnology field will lead to more jobs being created and opportunities for young scientists to be recognised for their work across different industries.