Fengru Lin is the Founder and CEO of TurtleTree, a pioneering biotechnology company that has successfully developed the world’s first sustainably produced lactoferrin “LF+” using precision fermentation technology.
In this episode, Fengru Lin shares her journey from a tech career at Google and Salesforce to leading biotech innovations at TurtleTree. Inspired by challenges in replicating traditional cheese-making in Asia, she envisioned revolutionizing the dairy industry. Fengru discusses TurtleTree’s shift from cell-based milk to producing high-value proteins like lactoferrin, used in infant nutrition and supplements. She emphasizes the importance of market-driven innovation, sustainable ingredients, and the role of a mission-focused team in staying competitive in the dynamic biotech space.

Host: Jessie Wong Editors: Jessie Wong, John Joson Ng

The show notes and transcripts for the episode can be found on nucleatesingapore.substack.com. For feedback or recommendations on who we should talk to next, please reach out to Joson Ng via johnjoson.n@nucleate.org.

01:00 Introduction 05:51 Pivoting from Cell-Based Milk to Lactoferrin Production 16:02 Challenges and Strategies in Building TurtleTree 20:14 Consumer Perception and Adoption of Precision Fermentation Products 26:09 TurtleTree’s Role in Singapore’s 2030 Sustainable Food Initiative 30:58 Balancing Sciences and Business in Biotech Startups