Alternative Protein Solutions Database
Discover ideas for new startups, commercial ventures and products, research projects, ecosystem support, and investment opportunities for plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived proteins.
Additional Filters
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
| Opportunity | Production platform | Value chain segment | Technology sector | End product focus | Relevant actor | Maturity level | Solution category | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Directed evolution using Raman activated cell sorting
The combination of flow cytometry—which allows single cell analysis and sorting—with Raman spectroscopy—which allows crude biochemical analysis of cells—can be used to develop new strains of microorganisms with enriched protein,… |
Fermentation
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R&D | Host strain development | Species-agnostic | Academics Industry Startups | Research | Science | |
|
Affordable animal-free omega-3 ingredients for alternative seafood and other alternative protein applications
In order to appeal to health-conscious consumers, alternative seafood products should contain similar omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA, content to conventional seafood. Animal-free omega-3 ingredients can be expensive… |
Fermentation
Plant-Based
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Investment Production R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Crop development Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Seafood | Industry Investors Startups | Commercial | Industry | |
|
Novel methods for long-chain omega-3 fatty acid production
As the alternative seafood industry scales up, a low-cost and abundant source of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids will become necessary. Several means of producing these compounds have been investigated… |
Fermentation
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R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Seafood | Academics Industry Startups | Research | Science | |
|
Preventing oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids before and after addition to alternative seafood products
Deeper fundamental knowledge of the causes and prevention of oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids before, during, and after addition to alternative seafood products is needed to improve their nutritional and… |
Cultivated
Fermentation
Plant-Based
|
End Products Investment Production R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Bioprocess design Crop development End product formulation & manufacturing Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Seafood | Academics Industry Investors Startups | Research | Industry Science | |
|
Understanding uptake and interconversion of omega-3 fatty acids by cultivated fish cells
Although fish are one of the best dietary sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), these compounds are mostly bioaccumulated from a fish’s diet rather than synthesized de novo. Consistent… |
Cultivated
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R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Cell culture media Cell line development Host strain development | Seafood | Academics Industry Startups | Commercial Research | Science | |
|
Microbial strain-development contract research organizations for alternative protein applications
While emerging fermentation-derived ingredient companies often optimize their strain’s productivity in-house, it may be more efficacious for startups to engage contract research organizations with both deep microbial strain development expertise… |
Fermentation
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R&D | Host strain development | Species-agnostic | Industry Startups | Commercial Ecosystem Research | Industry Science | |
|
Comprehensive microbial screening to identify new protein production candidate strains
Metabolic and physiological characteristics of microbial strains define the commercial potential of any fermentative process, but only a minimal number of strains have been scaled up for commercial production of… |
Fermentation
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Production R&D | Host strain development | Species-agnostic | Academics Industry Startups | 1 – Inception | Commercial Research | Industry Science |
|
Producing animal-like fats through microbial fermentation
Microbial fermentation provides an efficient method for generating lipid molecules that are chemically identical to those produced by animals. Research efforts are needed to expand current knowledge about the process… |
Fermentation
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R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Host strain development Target molecule selection | Species-agnostic | Academics Startups | 1 – Inception | Commercial Research | Science |
|
Expanding options for food-safe genetic selection markers
In strain development, many of the selectable markers confer traits like antibiotic or herbicide resistance. While some auxotrophic selection markers exist, these are often not orthogonal and thus not amenable… |
Fermentation
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R&D | Host strain development | Species-agnostic | Academics Industry Startups | Research | Science | |
|
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.… |
Fermentation
|
Production R&D Raw Materials, Ingredients, & Inputs | Host strain development Ingredient optimization Target molecule selection | Species-agnostic | Academics Industry Startups | Commercial Research | Industry Science |
Get involved
If you’d like to fund a research project, work on any of these solutions, share information about related efforts that are already underway, or elevate new ideas for advancing the alternative protein industry, we’d love to hear from you!
Explore key innovation priorities
Review commercial whitespaces, research gaps, technological needs, and investment priorities at each stage of the alternative protein value chain.
How we built this
Full report
Delve into the full report on the motivation, methodology, rationale, and key findings and recommendations of the Solutions initiative.
Futures wheels analysis
Explore our framework for uncovering second-order or third-order consequences and implications of hypothetical future scenarios to support better decision-making in the present.
Future-proofing
Discover key findings from GFI’s premortem analysis of potential threats to the widespread adoption of alternative proteins, including strategies to avoid or mitigate the most pressing risks.
