Shiwen Zhuang

Dr Shiwen Zhuang has over 15 years of experience in fermentation scale-up, across laboratory and industrial scales, with applications spanning the food, beverage, and biotech sectors. He joined Heriot-Watt in 2022, as part of The International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD).

Previously, Shiwen was a Senior Fermentation Scientist at Scotland's Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), where he successfully led a team in scaling up fermentation processes for numerous biotech companies. He also developed and implemented fermentation training programs for junior biotech scientists. Prior to that, Shiwen was a Fermentation Engineer at Calysta Ltd. UK, a global leader in sustainable single-cell protein production by fermenting natural gas (>90% CH₄). As a technical lead, Shiwen played a key role in optimising an industrial scale plant and establishing a cutting-edge scaled-down laboratory, overseeing safety risk assessment, bioreactor and facility design, commissioning, and technology transfer overseas.

Shiwen holds a Master's degree in Engineering and a PhD in Brewing Science from the University of Nottingham, UK, under the supervision of Dr Chris Powell and Prof Katherine Smart. He also conducted postdoctoral research at the Technical University of Denmark and Carlsberg Research Laboratory in Copenhagen.

Shiwen's research focuses on sustainability and product innovation in the food, beverage, and biotech sectors, leveraging fermentation technologies and integrating multiple disciplines including engineering, bioprocessing, and artificial intelligence, to develop innovative solutions.

• High-gravity fermentation for energy and water savings (1 PhD project)
  • Yeast carbon partitioning during high-gravity brewing fermentation
  • Impact of external osmolality on yeast populations
• Fermentation-based alternative proteins for food security (1 PhD project)
• Valorisation of agri-food waste for circular economy
  • Spent grains from distillers
  • Biogenic CO₂ emissions from brewing fermentation
  • Small staves from rare oak trees for whisky ageing (coming soon)

Current projects:

• Impact of (Very) High Gravity Distilling Fermentation on the Characteristics of Distilled Products and Carbon Footprints (2023-2027; Funders: Diageo and Heriot-Watt Univerisity; Collaborator: University of Edinburgh - School of Informatics)
• From CO₂ to Food: Development of Microbial Biomass as a Novel Food Source (2024-2028; Funders: Albida Agriculture and Heriot-Watt University)

Completed projects:

• Guidance Manual: Responsible & Safe Handling of C1 Gases in Microbiology Laboratories (2022-2024; Funder: BBSRC | Carbon Recycling Network; Partner: Ingenza)