The Science of Alt Protein: Functionality-driven processing — shaping tomorrow’s proteins
Dr. Julia Keppler
Wageningen University
Event description
Proteins can be seen as the most important structural and functional components of food, which are also predominantly viewed positively by consumers. However, alternative protein sources often lack the range of functions expected of animal proteins.
Join Dr. Julia Keppler of Wageningen University to discover nature-inspired examples of how the (technical) functionality of protein ingredients can be tailored to suit the intended target application.
Meet the speaker
Dr. Julia Keppler
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
LABORATORY OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Julia Keppler is an associate professor in the Food Process Engineering Group at Wageningen University, the Netherlands, with more than 11 years of experience in the field of food protein functionality, 99 peer-reviewed publications, and holds multiple patents.
Dr Keppler´s research group focuses on tuning the structure and functionality of food protein ingredients during processing. The group explores new food protein sources, (e.g., plant-, single cell -, mussel-proteins, or proteins obtained through precision fermentation), unravels their functionalities, and delves into the intricate relationship between structure and function influenced by processing techniques.
Upcoming events
View all events
The Business of Alt Protein: Consumer taste preferences in dairy-free products
Join GFI for our next Business of Alt Protein webinar as we unveil insights from NECTAR’s new Taste of the Industry 2026 report which benchmarks consumer taste preferences across the full dairy-free…
Animal-Free Meat: The Next Agricultural Revolution
Come learn how science, policy, and industry can work together to satisfy the world’s soaring demand for meat, no animals required.
The Climate Challenge & Protein Diversification for the Global South
Food systems sit at the center of the climate challenge. This DC Climate Week session brings together development finance leaders, researchers, and industry experts to explore how diversified protein production…
DC Climate Week Leadership Forum – Future Food Fireside Chat
Bruce Friedrich joins DC Climate Week for a conversation on how rethinking meat can help tackle climate, protect nature, and expand what’s possible for food.
The Science of Alt Protein: Transforming waste to fungal mycoprotein
Learn how Dr. Wang is developing a foundational biorefinery for converting food waste to fungal mycoprotein for practical food applications.
Proposal Writing Workshop: Tips and tricks for securing alternative protein funding
Join our expert-led workshop designed to help U.S.-based researchers strengthen their ability to secure funding.
SynBioBeta 2026
Bruce Friedrich joins SynBioBeta to make the case for a new way of producing meat—one grounded in science, built for scale, and critical to the future of food.
