About us

Our values

Whether our KNOWLEDGE is gained through clinical trials, food quality tests, biopreservation studies, questionnaires or data analysis, the answers we find help us to improve the solutions we offer for better healthcare and make powerful change.

It is only through the SUPERIOR (CROSS-DISCIPLINARY) SCIENCE that we accomplish:

• Better understand how to prevent disease conditions from developing in humans and animals involving the use of beneficial microorganisms belonging to Kluyveromyces species
• Ease suffering and care with Kluyveromyces sp.

Our global vision to be a LEADER IN KLUYVEROMYCES SOLUTIONS for the world’s producers is accomplished through every day effort to:

• do superior science and develop better Kluyveromyces solutions that contribute to human and animal welfare, but also to agronomic soil properties
• keep high quality standards and constantly improve production processes with direct impact on a producer‘s profitability
• build strong and enduring business relationships based on knowledge sharing strategy, flexibility and family spirit.

Our story is about transforming tradition in innovation

TURVAL Laboratories were founded as a start up company in the 1990s at the Udine Science Park by Ing. Alessandro Turello and Dr. Paolo Valles, visionary biotechnological researchers from Friuli Venezia Giulia (North Italian Region), with the main purpose to reduce the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition and improve the feeding efficacy in the natural way

Thanks to numerous scientific collaborations with prestigious international research institutes, Turval labs developed new generation prebiotics and postbiotics, based on KEFIR BORN, LACTIC YEAST, KLUYVEROMYCES MARXIANUS FRAGILIS B0399 as a natural and safe way to protect animals.

t has been shown that the use of this lactic yeast in feed, both as probiotic (live microorganism) and postbiotic (inanimate bacteria, cell components or post-fermentation by-products), have a positive effect on the growth of pigs, chickens and young ruminants, on the stabilization of the intestinal microbiota of pigs and in the prevention of mastitis in dairy cows. Finally it reduces the occurrence of pathogens in large-scale farms further decreasing the need for antibiotics.

With constant research and scientific-technological innovation this safe and natural way to protect animals was subsequently translated to human health and nutrition. It was soon demonstrated and certified by international health and food Authorities that this yeast is the only human probiotic highly efficient with very low daily dose, even 10 to 100 times lower than the other commercially available probiotics.

Our concept to constantly increase our knowledge about this active principle while striving to improve the quality and productivity is contained in the company’s DNA. It is also the reason why the company has been able to stand out worldwide as a reference point in the Italian and international Kluyveromyces marxianus research panorama.

Research ethics, high quality standards, family spirit and inclination to flexibility are the algorithm for quick response to the needs of the final customer and the force generator for Turval’s growth, currently measuring the presence in 18 countries on 4 continents.

Personnnel Resarchers Collaborators

Our team value knowledge and is united by passion for science and innovation in first place, but also passion for collaboration with teams of experts in every cross-finctional industry field. Within the group's framework, there are over 25 employees, between personnel and external collaborators.

Alessandro Turello (chemical engineer), CEO and Co-Founder

Born in 1954, and graduated cum laude in Chemical Engineering from the University of Trieste (Italy), in 1980.

Everything began in the ‘90s, when the European Community proposed to eliminate antibiotics from animal feed. In their place, engineer Turello thought about introducing probiotics. And for this purpose, in 1992 he founded the company LABORATORI TURVAL as a biotechnological sector of the group Biochemio srl., with whom he perfected and deposited one of the most innovative and effective probiotics for human and zoo-technological use present on the international market: the lactic yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus fragilis B0399 (Turval B0399). Engineer Alessandro Turello, head of research group, began receiving recognitions both in the veterinary and medical sectors of the Italian and international markets (in particular the US, Canada, Egypt, Argentina, Uruguay, Ireland, England, Thailand, Taiwan.) So far the active ingredient has obtained international approvals from the FDA (USA), the CFIA (Canada), the European Community and others. Turval’s probiotics research achievements were also recognised by the Italian Ministry of Defense and consequentially Turval’s probiotics have been utilized by the Red Cross and the Italian Military. Turval Laboratories are committed to acts of solidarity: they have supported ChildCare WorldWide (CCWW) ONLUS in the project of training pediatricians and nurses in the specific pathologies of South Africa.

Paolo Valles

Born in 1942, and graduated in Biology from the University of Trieste (Italy), in 1968. For the next two decades, he was entitled R&D Responsible managing Patent Office and Biotechnological Productions of CRC Spa (Chemistry Research Company). Since 1982 he was managing the project: "Biological Modulators", regarding the enhancement of the probiotic lactic fermentation by yeasts to be used in the animal health. At that time he started to introduce the term "probiotic lactic yeast" (which would later become brand name for Turval's probiotic). Since 1988 he began working as a consultant for various life science companies. By 1992 he joined Turval Labs.as a co-founder, where he finalized the old BM project, together with the rest of the research team, followed by development of new biotechnology production techniques (patented) and new applications. Today he is the directing Kluyveromyces production technologies.

Ana Backovic (PhD in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology), R&D Lead

Born in 1983, and graduated with Master Degree in “Molecular Biology and Biotechnology”, University of Belgrade (Serbia) in 2007. In 2011, she obtained PhD degree in “Molecular Biology”, with prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Ana continued her scientific career as a Post-Doctorate researcher in Molecular Medicine in International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - ICGEB Trieste. She entered Turval labs in 2014, as a freelancer, coordinating research project between Turval Laboratories and Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad (Serbia. Her responsibilities covered all phases, from protocol design, process optimisation on small scale, implementation in production scale, participation on symposiums and, finally, scientific support to commercialisation. In 2015 Ana became an integral part of Turval labs with the hybrid managerial role, comprising: Product Development and Launch and International Business Development (Responsible for Eastern Europe – both Animal and Human Health segment). Her focus was also developing new applications of K.m B0399® within Dairy, Functional Food and Beverage Ind., Sports Nutrition. In 2017 she obtained a Master degree in Business Administration (MBA II) with Università Telematica e-Campus, Milano.

Some of the most remarkable achievements since in Turval: i) development of Balkan Market zone, ii) development & launch of the new generation probiotic yogurt, “Jogofir”, nominated "The Champion of Quality" among international competitors within the year of launch, iii) development of the first probiotic chocolate containing K.marxianus B0399®”. Today, Ana is Turval’s R&D Lead and Scientific Affairs Manager.

Francesca Cecchini (Food Technologist, PhD), R&D-QC Project Manager

Born in 1979, and graduated in Food Science Technology, University of Udine (Italy), in 2007. Soon after, she was selected for Doctorate Program in “Food Science”, by Department of Food Science, University of Udine, where she obtained the Doctorate Degree in 2011. During her PhD she developed part of her research in Israel, both at Laboratory of Biosensors, Biotechnology Engineering, Ben Gurion University, Be’er Sheva, and at Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, where she worked in a Laboratory Biosafety Level 3. She continued her scientific career as a Post-Doctorate researcher in Food Microbiology at the Department of Food Science, University of Udine. In 2013 named Master in Biotechnology of Microorganisms, Genetics of Microrganisms, Selection and Utilization of yeasts for Enological utilization, and Molecular Techniques for Food Microbiology. She partecipated at many national and international conferences as speaker and invited speaker. She has many publications in International Journals. She was cotutor both for master and first degree thesis. She has experience of lab teaching and lectures for microbiology courses. In 2015 was selected for a Post doct position by CREATE, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore where she worked on DNA biosensors and bioluminescence bacteria testing artificial sweeteners. She has deep experience in microbiological analysis and molecular biology, including DNA biosensors. She joined Laboratories Turval late in 2017. She is involved in Quality Control, Regulatory Practices, R&D activities and microbiological analysis. She participates in different projects regarding new applications of Kluyveromyces marxianus B0399®.

The products based on Kluyveromyces marxianus B0399 are marketed in over 18 countries around the world, through our sales agents and local distributors.