On July 29th, 2025, the KHNI hosted an expert scientific webinar; “Biotech at the table: Enzyme technology in modern nutrition”. The expert panel broadcast from Kerry’s Biotechnology and Innovation centers in Leipzig Germany and Naas, Ireland, shaped the evolution of enzyme engineering and the advancements of machine learning and artificial intelligence in this field.
Enzymes play a leading role in sustainable nutrition
Dr. Niall Higgins began the webinar with insights into how biotechnology is radically transforming food processing, food production and food innovation through biotech solutions such as enzymes.
Enzymes have become an increasingly important ally due to their high efficiency, specificity and their ability to create a more efficient food system. As nature’s biocatalysts, Dr. Higgins emphasized that enzymes are a multifaceted technology enabling operational efficiencies, improving product quality, extending shelf life, valorizing waste streams, unlocking nutrients and more. Dr. Higgins used case studies to demonstrate that enzymes will continue to play a leading role by providing better nutrition and improved cost-effective processes that are ultimately having less impact on the planet’s resources.
Enzymes from discovery to disruption
Enzyme engineering is a highly dynamic and rapidly advancing field. Dr. Andreas Vogel explored the evolution of enzymes through time from discovery to disruption. He highlighted where enzymes were first isolated from natural sources, followed by directed enzyme evolution which facilitates the tailoring of enzyme properties for specific industrial applications. However, directed enzyme evolution also has its challenges. Dr. Vogel highlighted that smart strategies are needed to navigate these complexities, and provided a case study where enzyme engineering not only improves food production but also transforms consumer taste experiences.
Artificial intelligence to develop next generation of enzymes
Next Dr. Sebastien Bartsch brought our attention to a Nobel Prize winning breakthrough in 2022 with AlphaFold 2 which predicts enzyme structures with high precision and, since then, available enzyme structures grew significantly compared with the previous 60 years.
Dr. Bartsch brought us through what lies ahead with “next gen” enzymes. He considered why AI does not simply design the best possible enzymes for any given applications as, they are dynamic, constantly moving, and often have different conformational states. Therefore, despite AI technology developing at an extremely fast pace, Dr. Bartsch pointed out that designing an active enzyme with a set of different features under industrially relevant conditions remains a challenge.
Consequently, there is an exciting future ahead for enzymes where continuous rapid improvements in bioinformatics, de novo protein design, AI, and tools like AlphaFold, will make significant strides in predicting protein structures and designing enzymes more efficiently.
Dr. Higgins closed out the webinar recapping on today’s session where:
• importance of continuous advances in biotechnology was emphasized.
• understanding of the current role of enzymes in the food and beverage industry was deepened.
• the impact of new-to-world enzyme solutions will influence and redefine the future of the food and beverage industry, by leveraging the rapid and recent biotechnological advances.
Finally, ending the webinar was a lively Q&A session where viewers asked questions and the team provided their insights.
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Contributors:
Niall Higgins, PhD
Global Product Director - Kerry
Niall Higgins, Ph.D joined Kerry in 2016 in a role responsible for the development of Kerry enzyme technologies, driving the full innovation chain from concept design to product delivery. Since then Niall has held multiple positions within Kerry as R&D Manager, Integration Lead, Senior Business Development Manager and Global Product Director based in Naas, Ireland.
Andreas Vogel, PhD
VP of R&D, Kerry Biotechnology Center
Andreas Vogel has more than 20 years of experience in the field of biocatalysis and enzyme engineering. He is Head of R&D Enzyme Development at c-LEcta. He was originally trained in chemistry (University of Münster, Germany). Andreas is the author of more than 40 scientific publications and patents and co-editor of the book “Industrial Enzyme Applications” published by Wiley-VCH.
Sebastian Bartsch, PhD
Head of Bioinformatics, Kerry Biotechnology Center
Sebastian Bartsch is Head of Bioinformatics, Kerry Biotechnology Center. Trained in biochemistry, he discovered early on his passion for enzymology, enzyme engineering, and the application of computational methods. During his diploma and PhD at the University of Greifswald under Prof. Dr. Uwe Bornscheuer, he investigated enzymatic catalysis mechanisms and optimized enzymes for industrial use.
