Sun Yafang

Deputy General Manager, Yeast and Enzyme Technology Center, Angel Yeast Co., Ltd

Sun Yafang focuses on the research and development of microbial strains, from independently undertaking research and development projects to leading a team to complete technical research tasks. She has always adhered to the company's main business system and conducted in-depth research on the molecular mechanisms of yeast species differentiation, fermentation, and stress resistance performance. 

Her team has established a strain development platform with high independent R&D capabilities, developed multiple industrial yeast strains with improved traits, and achieved outstanding results in independent research and development of key core technologies and intellectual property protection. This has enhanced the company’s innovation ability and promoted the sustainable and high-quality development of China's yeast industry.

"Standing on the shoulders of giants is the best policy." Thanks to Angel's advantages in channel, technology, brand and other aspects, the company has successfully established long-term cooperation with scientific research institutions such as the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Relying on the platform and talent resources of the research institute, Angel strain researchers have extensively collected local yeast resources in China to conduct yeast diversity analysis and strain construction technology research.

Finding the right strain is the primary challenge. Angel's researchers, with the help of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, extensively collected various samples while crossing mountains, villages, and alleys.

After years of overcoming difficulties, Angel has established and improved a genetic breeding platform for flour yeast, achieving breakthroughs in strain polyphase identification and flour yeast genetic breeding. It has successfully developed a series of new strains with excellent traits and commercial value, including high-performance flour yeast, freeze-resistant yeast, special flavor yeast, functional yeast, and other new strains. Among them, the independently developed new strains of flour yeast have surpassed foreign competitors in terms of its fermentation performance that not affected by sugar concentrations, and the quality of related products has made significant progress, reaching the international leading level.

During this period, a young strain research and development team with a doctoral and master's degree as the core, with an average age of 30 years old, thrived in Angel and achieved fruitful results. "There is no end to bacterial cultivation, and one after another comes a series of technical challenges waiting to be overcome, with more unknowns waiting to be discovered..."Sun admitted.