ISSCR Seminar Series: Stem Cells and Global Sustainability
The fourth and final program of the series will highlight the potential and the challenges of cell-based approaches to meat and fish alternatives from experts in the field and industry.
Science
The Plant Protein Landscape: Key ingredient sources for alternative proteins
This webinar will explore the key characteristics of plant protein sources for alternative protein end products.
The Science of Alt. Protein: Developing optimized media for cultivated meat production with Dr. David Block
Join Dr. David Block, Professor at the University of California, Davis, on February 24th for a review of his GFI-funded research project on the application of optimization tools to achieve low-cost cultivated meat production.
HCJ Expo 2021
HJC is Japan's largest exhibition for hospitality, foodservice, and catering. The expo will take place in February 16-19, 2021 at Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo. HJC 2021 will feature a Natural Food Products exhibition zone with plant-based companies presenting.
Plant-based ingredient analytical and characterization service
Plant-based food manufacturers often struggle with batch-to-batch ingredient inconsistency and variability between suppliers. Better analytical tools for predicting plant-based ingredient performance could improve manufacturing efficiency and create more transparent ingredient markets. Tools are needed to predict how ingredients will perform after various processing methods and in end-product applications like plant-based meat and dairy.
Biological processing methods for isolating protein ingredients
Processing crops into flours, isolates, and concentrates often relies on chemical and mechanical methods. Biological processing techniques may impart the desired composition and molecular structure for optimal functionality with increased precision, lower cost, and greater suitability for small-scale processing. Biological processing techniques include using enzymes to fine-tune functional properties like solubility, gelling capacity, and fat- and water-binding capacity or using microbial fermentation to convert plant protein feedstocks into more functional forms.
Cultivated meat co-product valorization
Animal cell metabolism within cultivators can produce useful co-product side streams that provide monetary value to the manufacturer while creating a novel source of inputs for other industries. Potential side streams should be identified and analyzed for their utility and economic viability, in addition to developing methods for efficient side stream capture.
Techno-economic models to inform product and process development
Techno-economic models are critical for process design and cost of goods projections. Open-access models based on generalized or exemplar processes with standardized unit operations and designs can form the foundation for individual companies’ work, reducing duplicative effort. Furthermore, techno-economic models can identify key cost drivers and opportunities for process improvements to guide future research efforts. The independent research consultancy CE Delft recently published a cultivated meat techno-economic analysis. However, similar efforts are needed for fermentation-derived and plant-based meat production.
Biosynthetic pathway discovery for fermentation-produced molecules
After identifying specific target molecules or desired functionalities in animal-derived foods, scientists can work backward, mining microbial sequences for candidate molecules in the microbial realm that might provide similar functionality. This process can also elucidate the pathways that produce these molecules and inform strategies for designing microbial strains that produce these molecules at scale.
Protein sequence, structure, and functionality database
There is a need for deeper fundamental research on the relationships between protein sequence, structure, functionality, and ultimately performance in plant-based food products. While several plant-based companies have claimed a competitive advantage from building databases of functional properties and applying machine learning to inform protein selection and formulation, these capabilities remain proprietary and the efforts duplicative. An open-access database could provide functional and characterization data using standardized methods to facilitate direct performance comparisons among proteins and train predictive algorithms.
