Abstract Purpose This study provides the first ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA) of recombinant human lactoferrin produced via precision fermentation, establishing an early environmental benchmark for this high-value protein. The aim was to quantify key environmental drivers across alternative carbon sources and regional electricity mixes, and to identify process hotspots that can guide future optimisation and scale-up. Methods An ex-ante, cradle-to-gate LCA was conducted using detailed process simulation data representing industrial-scale operation. Six scenarios were evaluated, combining two feedstocks (glucose and glycerol) with three Australian electricity grids (Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales). Impact assessment followed ReCiPe 2016 and included water scarcity using AWARE. A Monte Carlo analysis ( n = 1000, ± 20%) was applied to evaluate uncertainty and the robustness of scenario rankings. Results Electricity supply and carbon source were the dominant determinants of environmental performance. The global warming potential ranged from 78.9 to 168.1 kg CO₂ eq kg⁻¹, depending on feedstock and electricity mix. Non-renewable cumulative energy demand varied between approximately 1000 and 1780 MJ kg⁻¹, following similar trends. Scenarios relying on fossil-intensive grids showed markedly higher greenhouse gas emissions, fossil resource use and non-renewable energy demand, while renewable electricity substantially reduced these impacts. Glucose-based systems generated higher land use due to agricultural cultivation, whereas glycerol-based routes exhibited greater energy-related burdens. At the process level, utilities—especially electricity, steam and purified water—accounted for most impacts across categories. Uncertainty analysis confirmed that comparative results were robust within the tested range. Conclusions Environmental performance of recombinant human lactoferrin is strongly influenced by regional energy systems and utility intensity, highlighting the importance of energy efficiency, site selection and low-carbon electricity for sustainable scale-up. The findings also point to potential benefits of adopting lower-impact or circular carbon sources and improving downstream integration. As precision fermentation advances, ex-ante LCAs will be critical to identify key improvement levers and support environmentally informed process development.
David et al. (Wed,) studied this question.