Building the next generation of alternative protein innovators
New projects selected to lead breakthroughs in alternative proteins
Those of us at GFI understand a strong open-access research environment and talent pipeline are essential to fostering good food innovation. That is why we launched the Research Grant Program in 2019 to fund the next generation of food innovators around the world.
Each year, we release requests for proposals (RFPs) for projects that aim to transform the alternative protein sector–research aiming to enhance sensory qualities, lower costs, and scale production.
Our 2024 RFP focused on three key areas:
- Upcycled plant proteins
- Next-gen fermentation downstream processing
- Hydrolysates for cultivated meat
Following our rigorous internal and external review process, fourteen projects at the forefront of groundbreaking research in alternative proteins were selected for funding. These projects hold the potential to drive significant global impact by advancing the field in three critical areas: overcoming technical hurdles, unlocking additional funding, and fostering collaborations that attract new talent.
Scientists working on alternative proteins share much in common with others working across the entire food system—most notably, a commitment to feeding the world in the most efficient, resilient, and socially just way possible.
We are excited to introduce you to some of the scientists we have selected this year to continue that important work and update you on the progress of some of our previous year’s grantees.
Upcycled plant proteins
Current food manufacturing practices produce a substantial amount of sidestreams and coproducts in addition to the product of interest. There is an opportunity to add value to these sidestreams and coproducts by turning them into high-quality, nutritious ingredients for alternative protein production. By optimizing processing methods to be more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, the alternative protein industry can reduce food waste and increase industry adoption of these protein-rich food sources.
This year we selected five projects to tackle this issue, looking at wheat bran, oil seed meal, underutilized albumin, sunflower meal, and soybean meal sidestreams.
- Dr. Mehdi Abdollahi, Sweden
Dr. Abdollahi is an Associate Professor of Food and Nutrition Science at Chalmers University in Sweden that’s targeting wheat bran as an alternative source for producing fermentation-based food ingredients. His project will utilize new technologies and fermentation methods for converting wheat bran into high-quality alternative protein ingredients. - Dr. Da Chen, USA
Dr. Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science at Purdue University and a specialist in plant protein extraction. His team will develop a novel protein extraction method from canola meal that is more cost-effective, less time-consuming, and will produce a higher volume and quality of protein compared to currently available methods. Dr. Chen is a previous GFI grantee. - Dr. Petra Först, Germany
Protein-rich by-products from conventional plant protein extraction processes, particularly those rich in albumin, are often underutilized. Dr. Petra Först, a professor of food process engineering at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, will use an optimized processing route to recover underutilized albumin side streams for use in alternative protein food production. - Dr. Carolina González Ferrero, Spain
Dr. González Ferrero, Head of Novel Food Ingredients at the National Centre for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA) in Spain, will work to address the challenge of effectively utilizing sunflower meal in her FEENIX project. FEENIX introduces a novel food ingredient by upcycling sunflower meal into a protein concentrate suitable for human consumption. - Dr. Bongkosh (Jeab) Vardhanabhuti, USA
Many soybean meals are currently used as animal feed. Dr. Vardhanabhuti, an Associate Professor of Food Science at the University of Missouri, USA, seeks to upcycle this sidestream into premium soy protein ingredients. Her team will evaluate innovative breeding technologies and alternative processing methods, with the goal of creating soy protein ingredients with improved flavor and functionality for use in large-scale food production.
Former grantee
spotlight:
Clemson University – Dil Thavarajah
Dr. Thavarajah is a plant breeder and a GFI inaugural grantee in 2019. She has completed her project and has gone on to leverage her GFI funding to secure a grant from USDA that enabled her to continue and build on her pea breeding work. She was named a winner of the FoodShot Global Precision Protein prize in 2022. To date, she has seven scientific publications acknowledging GFI funding, has secured two patents, and has two more innovations under review by Clemson’s tech transfer office. One company signed a licensing option for a protein patent and is in the process of signing another for a carbohydrate patent. Three other companies are negotiating potential licensing agreements. Though Clemson cannot disclose the names of the companies, they indicated one company is an intermediary to a large ingredient supplier who supplies big brand names and another is a mid-sized agriculture company. Two others are large flour milling companies in the US and Europe.
Next-gen fermentation downstream processing
Existing methods of downstream processing for proteins produced via microbial fermentation are costly, complex, and resource-intensive, often involving multiple steps that reduce efficiency for food applications. Innovations are needed to overcome these technical and economic barriers, reducing resource use while maintaining ingredient functionality and food-grade purity, essential for scaling precision fermentation in the food sector.
The selected projects this year focus on novel approaches to protein purification, offering novel solutions to reduce resource intensity and operational expenses in this growing sector.
- Dr. Gabriel Del Rio, USA
Dr. Del Rio of US-based startup DProtein seeks to combine strain improvements and novel bioprocesses for the purification and drying of proteins from precision fermentation in a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner than current methods allow. - Dr. Antoinette Kazbar, Netherlands
Dr. Kazbar, Assistant Professor of Bioprocess Engineering at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, aims to improve the sensory properties of plant-based meat, such as flavor, texture, and color. Her team will develop and refine two generalizable downstream processing approaches to produce bovine meat protein ingredients in yeast in a sustainable and cost-efficient way. - Dr. Ashkan Madadlou, Ireland
Dr. Madadlou, a senior lecturer in food structuring and formulation at University College Cork in Ireland, seeks to create a more efficient downstream process for the removal of cell debris and recovery of precision fermentation products from the cell biomass.
Former grantee
spotlight:
Mediterranean Food Lab – BZ Goldberg
The Mediterranean Food Lab (MFL) received a grant in 2020 to conduct their project “Traditional multi-phase fermentation of legumes and grains as source of organoleptically satisfying flavor bases”. Since April 2020, MFL has made significant strides, including winning the prestigious €100,000 award from the EIT Food Accelerator Network (FAN) Program and participating in the FTIC Food Tech Start-up Challenge, where they were recognized for their commitment to sustainable food solutions. Most recently, in January 2024, MFL raised a $17 million Series A round to scale up their innovative solid-state fermentation technology, all made possible thanks to Thomas’ funding. Their progress is a stellar example of how our funding can propel a research team’s early work and help them secure many times more funding.
Hydrolysates for cultivated meat
Currently, most amino acids used in cell culture media for cultivated meat production are produced using costly individual fermentation processes. It has been hypothesized the primary source of amino acids should come from hydrolysates to address price bottlenecks for cultivated meat. Protein hydrolysates from various sources have been used as a supplement for amino acids and other nutrients for decades in cell culture. The cultivated meat field will need to optimize the production of hydrolysates, and their performance will need to be evaluated in detail across the species and cell types used in cultivated meat production.
- Dr. Jake Bell, UK
Dr. Bell, Senior Scientist at Multus Biotechnology Ltd. in the UK, will use a combination of modern metabolomics, cell biology, and machine-learning techniques to evaluate how functional hydrolysates impact the growth, health, and sensory properties of a bovine fibroblast cell line. - Dr. Juan Du, Singapore
Dr. Du, Associate Professor in the Food, Chemical and Biotechnology Department at the Singapore Institute of Technology, will develop high-protein hydrolysates from seaweed. The team hopes to enhance the sensory properties of cultivated fish and shellfish, lower production costs, and increase scalability. - Dr. Alberta Pinnola, Italy
Cell culture media is used extensively in the production of cultivated meat. After cell culture, the exhausted media is typically discarded as waste. Dr. Pinnola, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Pavia, seeks to use a sustainable method to transform exhausted cell culture media into substrates to grow microalgae and generate amino acid-rich hydrolysates, which will serve as supplements for cultivated meat production. - Dr. Carlos Ricardo Soccol, Brazil
Dr. Ricardo Soccol, a professor in the Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology at the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil, will explore how protein hydrolysates derived from microorganisms can be used to create a new, low-cost, and efficient culture medium for large-scale cultivated meat production. - Dr. Andrew Stout, USA
For agricultural sidestreams to effectively support a large-scale cultivated meat industry, producers must trust the consistency of the sidestream components and manage any potential variability. Dr. Stout, Co-Founder and CSO of Deco Labs in Boston, USA, seeks to establish an understanding of how to assess, optimize, and maintain the consistency of cell culture media ingredients derived from rapeseed protein meal. - Dr. Mauricio Valdivia, Chile
Dr. Valdivia, Senior Scientist at Luyef Biotechnologies in Chile, is working to create a sustainable nutrient source for cultivated meat by utilizing lupine waste and lipid-producing yeast. By using upcycled lupine, Dr. Valdivia’s team expects to create a more affordable and sustainable alternative to conventional cell media, helping to move the industry closer to large-scale, cost-competitive cultivated meat products.
Former grantee
spotlights:
Umaro Foods – Amanda Stiles & Beth Zotter
Another GFI Grantee making good progress is Umaro Foods, led by founders Beth Zotter and Amanda Stiles, and a recipient of RGP funding in March 2019 and April 2020. Their groundbreaking work exploring red seaweed protein for plant-based meat products led to a successful appearance on “Shark Tank” in 2022. An initial seed funding round secured investments totaling $3 million in 2022. With recent seed funding in 2024 of $3.8 million, Umaro Foods is poised for further growth, aiming to scale a cost-efficient manufacturing process and launch retail products, including a recent product launch on Amazon.
Wageningen University and Research – Eddy Smid & Jasper Zwinkles
Researchers from a GFI-funded project at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands are putting an innovative spin on an ancient fermentation technique traditionally used to make tempeh. One year into the project, the researchers have developed a prototype product with a meaty texture by growing mycelium on brown rice. According to the researchers, the product delivers a high nutritional value and umami flavors reminiscent of conventional meat. Read GFI Europe’s blog to learn more.
Looking forward
Our work to grow the open-access research and training ecosystem would not be possible without the generous support of our global donor community. By the end of this year, we anticipate that GFI will have awarded over $24 million in research funding across 26 countries, leading to $56 million in follow-on funding for our grantees to continue their highly impactful work. Some have even started their own alternative protein companies.
If you are interested in applying for funding for your alternative protein research project, be on the lookout for our next request for proposals in spring 2025, check out our curated Research Funding database, or subscribe to The Grazer for bi-monthly updates tailored to the alternative protein research community.
Author
Brandi Bangle
Brandi Bangle facilitates GFI’s Research Grants Program, manages stakeholder communications, and supports the RFP cycle processes. Areas of expertise: research administration, program coordination, process improvement
