Turning Methane into Nutrition: ABB Automation Powers String Bio’s Breakthrough

Rethinking Methane for Global Nutrition

Methane is often seen as a climate threat. However, Bengaluru-based biotech company String Bio is transforming this gas into sustainable nutrition. By converting methane into high-value products for plants, animals, and humans, the company addresses both food security and environmental challenges.

Industrial Automation at the Core

Scaling such a sensitive process requires precision. ABB’s industrial automation systems provide end-to-end control, ensuring efficiency and reliability. With advanced PLC and DCS integration, ABB enables continuous fermentation with minimal manual intervention. This automation ensures consistent yields and accelerates commercialization.

Precision in Gas Fermentation

Gas fermentation is complex. ABB’s control systems monitor every stage, from microbial growth to downstream operations. Operators gain real-time visibility into critical parameters, ensuring microbes thrive without disruption. As a result, String Bio achieves industrial-scale production with confidence and consistency.

Sustainable Agriculture Applications

One key innovation is CleanRise®, which boosts rice yields by up to 40% while reducing methane emissions by 50%. This dual benefit supports farmer productivity and climate goals. Moreover, sustainable protein ingredients like Sustain require less land, water, and carbon compared to traditional sources, thanks to tightly controlled bioprocessing.

Data-Driven Optimization

ABB’s automation captures terabytes of production data. String Bio plans to integrate AI-driven predictive analytics to further optimize fermentation. This approach enhances efficiency, reduces downtime, and supports long-term scalability in factory automation environments.

Scaling for Global Impact

String Bio is expanding towards one million liters of production capacity. This scale can serve over 16 million acres of farmland and produce protein equivalent to 10,000 acres of soy cultivation in just 36 hours. ABB’s automation ensures operational continuity during this rapid expansion.

Expert Commentary

From my 15 years of experience in PLC, DCS, TSI, and power protection systems, ABB’s role here is pivotal. Gas fermentation demands deterministic control and seamless integration. ABB’s modular automation approach reduces risk, enabling biotech innovators to move from lab-scale breakthroughs to industrial-scale solutions.

Application Scenarios

• Rice cultivation — higher yields with reduced methane emissions.

• Animal nutrition — protein alternatives with lower resource use.

• Human nutrition — sustainable food ingredients for growing populations.

• Industrial biotech — scaling sensitive processes with automation.

About the Author

Liang Zhenhua is a global industrial automation expert with 15 years of experience in PLC, DCS, TSI, and power protection systems. He has authored technical documentation and industry analysis for leading automation manufacturers and international media, focusing on modernization strategies and digital transformation in industrial control.