What is the difference between precision fermentation and other types of fermentation?

Traditional fermentation harnesses natural microbial metabolism to produce mixtures of products (e.g., alcohol, acids, biomass), while biomass fermentation specifically cultivates microbes to generate bulk biomass or mixed metabolites (such as single-cell proteins or biofuels). In contrast, precision fermentation engineers specific genetic pathways in microbial hosts to produce a single, high-value target molecule with exceptional purity and consistency.