MicroLub is a deep-tech ingredient solutions company that develops protein-based technologies for replacing a significant proportion of fats and oils in food and personal care products, while retaining the delicious mouthfeel, smooth texture, and indulgent sensation consumers love.
Until now, consumers have had to choose between ‘delicious but unhealthy’ and ‘better-for-you but inferior sensory experience’. Not anymore. Now they can have their cake and eat it too.
Using cutting-edge protein science, we’ve developed biolubricant technologies that recreate the sensory experience of everyone’s favourite products. More protein. Less fat and oil. All the taste, mouthfeel, and texture.
Throughout the world, HFSS regulation is driving innovation and reformulation in the food industry. But every tweak to reduce fat, sugar, or salt, or increase protein, impacts mouthfeel and the consumer’s sensory experience.
Consumers are seeking better-for-you food products with higher protein content, lower fat content, and cleaner labels. But reformulation typically means compromise: grittiness in high-protein drinks, lack of creaminess in reduced-fat dairy – disappointing mouthfeel and texture that negatively impact repeat purchase rates.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the ingredients in the products they buy – whether that’s chemical-sounding names in food or petroleum-based ingredients in personal care. How can you replace these ingredients while retaining a superior sensorial experience?
MicroLub designs and produces protein-based molecules which function as microscopic lubricants and enable the customisation of friction in a wide range of categories and applications.
From food and nutrition to consumer health and personal care, our technology reduces molecular friction to deliver remarkably smooth, oil-like performance.
That means you can create healthier, more sustainable products, which taste and feel just like the original.
MicroLub’s bespoke solutions solve formulation challenges across multiple categories and applications.
MicroLub is a UK-based deep-tech ingredient solutions company that develops protein-based biolubricant technologies for replacing fats and oils in food and personal care products. Founded as a spinout from the University of Leeds’ Sarkar Lab, MicroLub enables food manufacturers and personal care brands to create healthier, more sustainable products — without compromising on the texture and sensory experience that drive consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase.
MicroLub’s technology reduces molecular friction in food and personal care products to deliver oil-like sensory performance without adding fat or oil. By coating protein microgels with polysaccharides in precisely calibrated ratios, MicroLub creates biolubricant molecules that replicate the mouthfeel of fat and the skinfeel of oil. This enables manufacturers to reduce fat content, increase protein, or incorporate micronutrients — all while maintaining the quality and sensory experience consumers expect.
MicroLub solves three interconnected formulation challenges: (1) reducing fat and oil content without sacrificing the indulgent texture and mouthfeel that drive consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase; (2) increasing protein content without the grittiness and astringency that typically undermine product appeal; and (3) replacing petroleum-based or synthetic ingredients in personal care with clean, naturally derived alternatives that perform to the same high standard.
MicroLub’s biolubricant technology reduces molecular friction by two full orders of magnitude compared to water, and one full order of magnitude compared to the best-in-class fat replacers currently available. This exceptional performance brings friction down to levels normally associated with oil — meaning products made with MicroLub’s ingredients genuinely replicate the sensory experience of full-fat originals, not just approximate it. No other commercially available fat-replacement or mouthfeel-enhancement ingredient achieves this level of friction reduction.
MicroLub’s technology platform works across a wide range of categories. In food: dairy (e.g. cream cheese, yoghurt, dairy desserts), bakery (e.g. cakes, cookies, pastries), chocolate and confectionery (e.g. fillings, spreads), high-protein products (e.g. meal replacements, protein bars, sports nutrition), plant-based dairy alternatives, and beverages (e.g. protein shakes, fortified drinks). In personal care: facial moisturisers, body lotions, creams, serums, hair care, and intimate care products.
MicroLub’s technology is designed for R&D teams, product developers, and formulation scientists at food manufacturers and brands, ingredient companies, and personal care brands. Whether you are responding to HFSS regulations, meeting consumer demand for higher-protein or cleaner-label products, or seeking to replace synthetic ingredients in cosmetics, MicroLub provides bespoke ingredient technology solutions tailored to your specific formulation challenge and commercial requirements.
Yes. MicroLub is a spinout from the University of Leeds’ Sarkar Lab, which has an internationally recognised track record in food tribology — the science of how surfaces interact through friction — and food biophysics. The company’s core technology is underpinned by years of peer-reviewed research published in leading academic journals. MicroLub works with partners across the food and personal care industries to translate this academic excellence into commercially viable, scalable ingredient solutions.
MicroLub is headquartered at Nexus, Discovery Way, Leeds, LS2 3AA, United Kingdom — the University of Leeds’ innovation hub. While based in the UK, MicroLub works with customers and partners globally, including ingredient companies, food manufacturers, and personal care brands across Europe, the US, and Asia. To discuss a specific formulation challenge or explore a potential partnership, contact the team at info@microlub.co.uk or visit microlub.com/contact.
