MDG News and Updates

At MDG, our mission is to Feed, Clean, Save the World through the development of microbial solutions that solve significant challenges in the markets we serve. We’re excited to continue working toward our mission by igniting our presence in the plant health market! Whether you’ve identified your own strain or you’re planning to use our products, our innovative Bacillus-based solutions and large capacity for contract manufacturing make us the ideal partner for advancing plant health and growth promotion. Microbial Solutions Each offering in our GrowVantage™ product line contains effective, high-quality Bacillus strains with results backed by extensive work from our R&D labs. Whether you’re looking for an ingredient to encourage robust root growth, improve soil health, or help increase yield, MDG will work with you to find a product that fits your specific needs. Our unique, environmentally friendlier solutions are also suitable for multiple applications and crop types. Formulating with GrowVantage™ ingredients can help your products stand out in the marketplace, propelling your business forward. Contract Manufacturing Capabilities If you’re looking for a partner to grow your unique plant health strain, MDG is well-positioned to meet your needs with our contract manufacturing offerings. We have three production facilities and a […]

We are excited to share that, for the second consecutive year, we’ve been chosen as a finalist for the Wisconsin Innovation Awards (WIA)! This annual award is granted to companies and individuals developing groundbreaking ideas and driving innovation in the state of Wisconsin. This year, WIA is recognizing our high-throughput probiotic discovery platform that helps speed up identification of microbial strains that can fight multidrug-resistant E. coli. Using this platform to help develop probiotic products for livestock, we can improve animal health and help prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals from reaching humans. These probiotics are already working in farms across the US, helping farmers keep their herds productive and healthy. “With antibiotic resistance rising globally and livestock producers losing effective tools, we saw a need for proactive, microbiome-based solutions,” says Kyle Leistikow, research manager of our CORE Innovation department. “Our team, comprised of experts in microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and animal health, came together to build a new system for designing probiotic products with targeted benefits.”

Bacillus bacteria are highly versatile, making them a great choice for formulating industrial, institutional, and consumer (IIC) cleaning products. During our upcoming webinar, technical support lead Jennifer Cray will use MDG lab data to demonstrate the power of Bacillus in indoor IIC applications such as tile, carpet, and drains. Attendees will learn why microbials are such powerful ingredients in IIC cleaners and gain insight into which MDG SporActiv® products our experts recommend for specific situations. “Putting Bacillus to Work Part I: Indoor Applications” will take place on Wednesday, December 10, at 1:00 PM CST. Register for free today and claim your spot! Register here And stay tuned for the next webinar in the series, “Putting Bacillus to Work Part II: Outdoor Applications”, coming in 2026!

Mike King, PhD, the cofounder and CEO of Microbial Discovery Group (MDG), is retiring from his position as CEO and transitioning to a consultant role. In 2007, Mike cofounded MDG with a mission to Feed, Clean, Save the World. From our beginnings as a pilot-scale R&D venture to our status today as a company with large-scale manufacturing capabilities and a global presence in various markets, we’ve made that mission the driving force behind everything we do. Mike shaped MDG’s culture of cutting-edge innovation, unparalleled partnership with our customers, and a deep-rooted belief in the power of microbial solutions to solve the world’s biggest problems. Mike will continue to work with MDG leadership on strategic projects. We are excited for this next chapter as we remain committed to the promises we make to our customers: applying Real Science to a Trusted Process, yielding Proven Success.

Scaling up your microbial strain for commercial purposes is a highly complex process, and without the proper guidance, it can be hard to get it right. As your trusted CMO for custom microbial fermentation, we work with you to achieve your unique goals and drive your business forward. To help you get started, we asked our experts for their top tips to achieve success with microbial scale-up. Here’s what they shared: Begin with the end in mind. Each step of the custom microbial manufacturing process builds on the one before it. This is why we say you should “begin with the end in mind”—in other words, start with a clear vision of your final goal so you can select the proper upstream steps to get you there. To do this, ask yourself some basic questions: Will you need your final product in a powder or liquid form? If you need a powder, how should it be dried? How does your product need to be blended, packaged, and shipped? Once you ask the questions, the next step is finding answers. Let’s say we’ve just completed the fermentation step, and we now have spore slurry that you need dried. While this may […]

Heading to SupplySide Global in Las Vegas this year? So are we! On October 29 and 30, our human health expert will be walking the expo hall floor. Don’t miss your chance to connect in person and learn about how MDG can become your trusted probiotic ingredient provider. Sharing Our Expertise and Growing New Partnerships SupplySide Global is “the leading B2B trade show and conference for the supplement, food and beverage industries”, bringing together probiotic professionals from around the world to share new ideas, insights, and innovations. Attending these types of events helps us stay plugged into the marketplace so we can better serve our current and future customers. With MDG as your probiotic ingredient supplier, you can differentiate your products faster without the added risk of investing your own resources in the development process. Our expertise in Bacillus and strong emphasis on collaborative partnerships allow you to drive your business forward with confidence. Set Up a Meeting We hope to see you at SupplySide Global! If you’re attending and would like to meet with our expert, please contact us to set up a time to talk.

As a trusted provider of Bacillus-based solutions, we are passionate about continuous innovation to better serve our partners. After years of planning and hard work, we are thrilled to share that we celebrated the grand opening of our third production facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, September 3, 2025! Our new 117,000-square-foot facility is located at 3403 W. Oakwood Road in Franklin and provides us with the necessary capacity to further our fermentation and lyophilization capabilities, all while supporting our vision to Feed, Clean, Save the World. Including our two other production locations, the new space brings us to a total of 55,000 liters of fermentation capacity. The ribbon cutting was attended by MDG leadership as well as the partners who’ve supported us along the way, including Milwaukee 7, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the City of Franklin, BioForward, and our parent company, United Animal Health. We are grateful to our partners for believing in our vision and providing us with the necessary resources to make this expansion project a success! To learn more about our evolving capabilities and explore how you can become a part of our ongoing journey, contact us today. MDG is the Bacillus solution […]

MDG is excited to share that we will be exhibiting at the Recent Advances in Fermentation Technology (RAFT) Conference this year! Visit us November 9–12 at the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort and Spa in Myrtle Beach, SC. We’ll be sharing exciting details about our newest production facility, and you’ll have the opportunity to speak with one of our custom fermentation experts in person. About the Event RAFT brings together professionals from around the world to share new innovations and developments in the field of microbial fermentation. The RAFT program chairs say that the conference will provide opportunities to learn about a wide variety of fermentation-related topics like “strain engineering, scaling up and down, digitalization, modeling, innovative [fermentor] designs and fermentation modes, and the integration of upstream and downstream processes”. Additionally, RAFT offers a chance for attendees to network and connect with potential vendors/service providers for their fermentation needs. Our Impact at RAFT 2025 On the exhibition floor, we’ll be showcasing details about our expanded capabilities, made possible by the opening of our third production facility. With 55,000 liters of fermentation capacity, we will be able to better serve both current and potential customers, applying Real Science to a Trusted Process […]

Without the right support, launching and selling your biological wastewater treatment products can be a difficult task. Luckily, when you partner with MDG, you receive the necessary assistance and more through our Biotifx® Platform. Created specifically for value-add businesses in the wastewater industry, the Biotifx® Platform helps you harness the power of bioaugmentation so your team can start selling fast and at a high return. Through Products, Programs, and People, our experts give you the training and tools you need to succeed in the marketplace. Take a look at how each aspect of our platform propels your business forward: Products All Biotifx® wastewater products go through a rigorous research and development process. Our microbiologists pull from our expansive library to find Bacillus strains that will help you address specific, high-value treatment challenges like: Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) Sludge Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and odors Water quality metrics Biotifx® products include a blend of micronutrients and biostimulants to heighten the strains’ performance. Our unique offerings are also available in a variety of delivery formats: liquids, powders, tablets, and more. Backed by our high-quality Bacillus-based products, you can drive your own business by offering your customers microbial solutions that are: Effective and […]

Healthy aging is an essential element of wellness for many consumers—in fact, in a NutraIngredients survey, 50% of people ranked healthy aging as an important goal. Unfortunately, there are a multitude of factors that may impede the healthy aging process. Recent research has shown there is a link between aging and inflammation, which some are calling “inflammaging”. Inflammaging refers to the low-grade inflammation that naturally occurs throughout the body as we get older, often due to changes in the gut microbiome. However, supplementation of anti-inflammatory probiotics could be a way to help ease the effects of inflammaging. Here’s what you need to know.1 The Connection Between Aging and the Gut Microbiome The human gut microbiome is complex, comprised of thousands of bacterial species. This diversity is key to keeping it healthy. However, as we age, gut microbiome diversity tends to diminish, particularly the populations of beneficial organisms that help maintain gut health. A decreasing population of good gut bacteria could lead to higher susceptibility to issues like leaky gut; this, in turn, could increase the persistent, systemic inflammation that is a hallmark of inflammaging.2,3 Because of the relationship between aging and inflammation, the two create a negative cycle. Age-related decline […]