Science

Isabella Righini and Luuk Graamans

Isabella Righini and Luuk Graamans © Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen Research: Assessing the Role of Vertical Farming in Accelerating the Global Protein Transition

In this interview, we discuss with Isabella Righini and Luuk Graamans, researchers in Greenhouse Horticulture at Wageningen University & Research, the role of vertical farming in advancing the global protein transition. Graamans and Righini shed light on promising technological advancements that may soon allow precise control of protein levels in crops. This forward-looking conversation unveils how vertical farming could support protein production to meet future global demands sustainably. You investigated the production of protein-rich crops in your Vertical Farm. Why is it important to prioritize protein-rich crops? Consumers are focusing evermore on new sources of protein, to transition away from meat and dairy consumption. Key motivators for this transition are the diversification of diet and the reduction of the environmental impact associated with food production. …

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University of Alberta researchers have developed pea inks with better shape-holding features using plasma, making them suitable for 3D-printed foods.

© Pauline Chan

Canadian Researchers Pioneer Cold Plasma Treatment to Use Pea Proteins in 3D Printed Foods

University of Alberta researchers have developed pea inks with better shape-holding features using plasma — the fourth state of matter — making them suitable for 3D-printed food applications. 3D extrusion printing allows the creation of plant-based foods with customizable shapes, flavours, textures and nutritional profiles. But, pea protein, a hypoallergenic, low-cost source available from Canadian prairie legume crops, is generally unsuitable for 3D printing due to its poor structural properties. Improved 3D printability of pea protein could expand its use in price convenient plant-based meat and cheese — alternatives much needed to transition to more sustainable diets. The cold plasma method To address the shape challenge in 3D printing, the researchers experimented by mixing pea protein isolates with water activated with cold plasma in a method …

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Stanford study compares the mechanical and sensory properties of plant-based and animal meat products.

From left: Skyler St. Pierre, Marc Levenston, Ellen Kuhl, Reese Dunne, Ethan Darwin, Valerie Perez Medina, and Divya Adil pose with the meat and plant-based meat they analyzed © Kurt Hickman

Stanford Engineers Develop 3D Texture Tests to Make Plant-Based Meat with “Precisely Desired” Properties

Stanford University engineers have developed a new AI model for food texture testing to improve the sensory experience of plant-based meat and encourage wider acceptance, especially among meat lovers. The researchers say the method could accelerate the development of appealing vegan alternatives by replacing trial-and-error approaches with a systematic, data-driven strategy that can tailor specific features to match consumer expectations. “Instead of using a trial-and-error approach to improve the texture of plant-based meat, we could envision using generative artificial intelligence to scientifically generate recipes for plant-based meat products with precisely desired properties,” the authors state. Testing the “mechanical signature” In the study published in Science of Food, the researchers show how they used a combination of mechanical testing and machine learning to measure and replicate …

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© Örebro University

PAN Sweden Works to Accelerate Protein Transition by Studying Health & Sensory Properties of Plant Protein

PAN Sweden Research Centre, an initiative coordinated by Örebro University, is studying the health impacts and sensory properties of plant-based proteins with the aim of aiding the transition to a more sustainable food system. Currently, the centre is investigating the impact of the processing, structure, and digestion of plant proteins and fibre on gut, metabolic, and mental health. It is also working to improve the sensory properties of plant-based products and develop methods of influencing consumer behaviour. This could include policies and regulations to accelerate the protein transition. PAN Sweden hopes to help meet Agenda 2030, an agreement that was adopted by all United Nations members in 2015 and outlines 17 world Sustainable Development Goals. These include improving health, ending hunger, and taking action on …

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Ymolution research team

The Ymolution research team, from left to right Anja Wiechert, Alexander Reder, Christian Hentschker, Jan Meiering. © University Medical Greifswald

Researchers Develop Pioneering Method for Production of Antibodies as Revolutionary Alternative to Animal Experiments

A research team from Germany’s University Medical Greifswald Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genome Research has developed a new method for the production of antibodies that completely eliminates the traditional use of animal experiments. The project, named “Ymolution” stands for a revolutionary solution to immunological questions, and was launched earlier in November ahead of a business that will be established over the course of the next few months. Animal usage is ethically problematic & expensive Antibodies play a crucial role in medicine, spanning applications from diagnostics (for example, rapid COVID tests) to the development of drugs. They are pivotal in diverse research areas, including cancer research, and have a direct impact on patient care, contributing to advancements in medicines, combating viral infections, and treating …

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Alt protein research

Image courtesy of GFI Europe

European Alt Protein Research Saw Record Public & Philanthropic Funding in 2023

A report by GFI Europe has found that European alternative protein research received more public and philanthropic funding than ever before in 2023, increasing from €63 million in 2020 to €290 million in 2023. This figure is likely to be matched or surpassed by the end of 2024. Since 2020, the European Commission has granted €252 million to alt protein research, mainly through the Horizon Europe program. Of this, half was invested in 2023 and early 2024. By country, Denmark has funded the most research at €96 million since 2020. The UK is close behind at €90 million, partly due to the establishment of a network of research hubs by the funding body UK Research and Innovation. Previously, most funding has gone to plant-based foods, …

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Japanese scientists have developed a new co-culturing system using rat cells and cyanobacteria to create a low-cost alternative to animal serum for cell growth.

© WD Stock Photos - stock.adobe.com

Japanese Scientists Develop Low-Cost Medium to Grow Muscle Cells Without Animal Serum

Japanese scientists have developed a new co-culturing system using rat cells and cyanobacteria to create a low-cost alternative to animal serum for cell growth. Fetal bovine serum has contamination risks and waste accumulation, and is very costly. In addition, it does not align with the promise of producing meat without killing animals. Rat liver cells can also secrete the proteins (growth factors) needed for muscle cell growth, providing a serum alternative for cultivated meat production. However, they produce waste metabolites, like lactate and ammonia, which hinder muscle cell growth. “Although more growth factor-secreting cells and longer cultivation produce larger amounts of growth factors, the downside is that the cells also produce waste products like lactate and ammonia into the medium at the same time, which eventually …

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The Swedish Mineral Shift project, aiming to enhance mineral absorption from grains, has optimized an ancient process called hydrothermal treatment to reduce phytic acid, the antinutrient that binds mineral absorption.

© Axfoundation

Swedish Hydrothermal Treatment Innovation Makes Grains Mineral-Rich Like Meat

Consuming more plant-based foods and less red meat can benefit both personal health and the environment. Grains and legumes offer plant-based proteins and essential minerals like iron and zinc for healthy and nutritious diets. However, our bodies absorb minerals from meat more easily than those found in grains, challenging the shift to plant-based diets. The Mineral Shift, a Swedish project aiming to enhance mineral absorption from grains, has optimized an ancient process called hydrothermal treatment to reduce phytic acid, the antinutrient that binds mineral absorption. “This is a great example of how minerals can be significantly more available from grain products, making it easier for more people to eat sustainably without compromising on nutritional content. Whole grains are among the most sustainable foods we can …

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Hand arranging sugar cubes as a metaphor for increasing sugar consumption or dietary control.

© Irina Ukrainets - stock.adobe.com

NUS Researchers Use Sugar Cubes for Cheap, Scalable Production of Rye Scaffolds for Cultivated Meat

Large-scale production of edible scaffolds and effective culturing methods for fat tissues — both crucial for replicating the texture, flavor, and nutritional value of meat — remain a technical challenge for the commercialization of cultivated meat. Scaffolds provide structural support for cells to multiply and develop into tissues. But they are typically made from synthetic or animal-based materials, which are expensive and inedible. But a research team led by Professor Huang Dejian from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully cultured pork fat using a new kind of plant protein scaffold. The scientists identified secalin, a protein extracted from rye and barley, both common crops, as a suitable source to create edible scaffolds. They then developed a template-leaching method for creating sponge-like scaffolds using …

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Innocent Meat at University of Rostock

© Innocent Meat

Rostock University Explores Use of Stem Cells for Meat Cultivation with Help from Innocent Meat

Rostock University Medical Centre in Germany is involved in research into cultivated meat in order to strengthen sustainable production and reduce agricultural emissions. The research project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture as part of the innovation funding programme until 2025. The Clinic and Polyclinic for Cardiac Surgery, the Research Laboratory for Biomechanics and Implant Technology and the Orthopaedic Clinic and Polyclinic at Rostock University Medical Centre are researching the production of cell-based meat products that are free from genetically modified tissue together with local cultivated meat company Innocent Meat. “Rostock University Medical Centre has many years of experience in stem cell research and therefore has extensive scientific expertise, which can now also have important benefits for the food sector,” …

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marbled steak

© Haydiddle - stock.adobe.com

GFI Supports Research into Realistic Fat Marbling in Whole Cut Plant-Based Meats

One of the challenges in producing realistic-looking and flavourful plant-based meat is mimicking the marbling effect of animal fat that many meat lovers expect. A food scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is developing a new technology to do just that, supported by a $250,000 grant from the Good Food Institute. The technology proposed by Lutz Grossmann, an assistant professor, “has the potential to revolutionise the plant-based meat industry, expand its product offerings and appeal to a broader audience,” the institute said on announcement of the grant, which is one of 118 awarded by the GFI since 2019 in 21 countries totalling more than $21 million to date. “The Good Food Institute has played a key role in supporting research for more sustainable food …

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Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein established at Imperial College London

© Imperial College London

Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein Opens at Imperial College London, Will Receive $30M in Funding

The Bezos Earth Fund has announced the launch of a new Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London. The Center will span seven academic departments, focusing on the development and commercialization of sustainable, affordable, nutritious, and tasty alternative food products. This will include research into cultivated meat, precision fermentation, AI, machine learning, nutrition, bioprocessing, and automation. Engineering biology and biofoundries (where cells effectively become mini factories) will be used to develop and scale up new bio-based processes. The Center will also encompass several institutes and facilities, including the Center for Synthetic Biology, the Center for Translational Nutrition & Food Research, and SynbiCITE (the UK’s industrial translation center for synthetic biology). These institutes will help with education, translating discoveries into real-world applications, and commercialization. …

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A photobioreactor for microalgae. Image: Photobioreactor PBR 4000 G by IGV Biotech [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Danish Scientists Use Blue-Green Algae to Develop “The Ultimate Way to Make Protein”

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have found a way to make protein by using cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) as a “surrogate mother”. In a new study, the scientists successfully used cyanobacteria to produce a protein with long, fibrous strands that resemble meat fibres. The process involved inserting foreign genes into the blue-green algae, which then became a host organism for the protein. Within each cyanobacterium, the protein organized itself into tiny threads (nanofibres). “Being able to manipulate a living organism to produce a new kind of protein which organises itself into threads is rarely seen to this extent – and it is very promising,” said Poul Erik Jensen of the university’s Department of Food Science. Cyanobacteria can be grown very sustainably, requiring just water, atmospheric …

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A shoe made from bacterial, self-dyeing leather

© Ed Tritton - Imperial College London

UK Researchers Develop First “Self-Dyeing” Plastic-Free Vegan Leather from Bacteria

Imperial College London researchers have developed, using bacteria, a plastic-free, vegan leather that dyes itself black during production. Scientists and material companies have been using microbes to produce sustainable textiles or dyes for the fashion industry; however, the researchers claim this is the first time a material produces its own color pigment. One of fashion’s most environmentally damaging processes is dyeing with synthetic chemicals. The researchers explain that black dyes — especially those used for tanning leather — are particularly harmful.  To solve this environmental problem, the researchers genetically engineered the bacterium Komagataeibacter rhaeticus to simultaneously produce microbial cellulose and the dark pigment eumelanin. Their new process has been published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.  “Inventing a new, faster way to produce sustainable, self-dyed leather alternatives …

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© GFI/University of Lisbon

GFI Requests Proposals for Alternative Protein Research Grants

The Good Food Institute (GFI) is now accepting proposals for its alternative protein research grants program. The grants support early to mid-stage research proposals addressing urgent scientific and technological challenges relating to alternative proteins. $3.4MM in funding has been allocated for awards across three high-priority scientific and technological topics: Upcycled plant proteins — Improving the functionality of known food industry sidestreams using emerging processing methods/technology with a calculated sidestream volume, limited economic assessment, and end-product demonstration. Next-gen fermentation downstream processing — Sustainable and low-cost approaches for downstream food protein isolation from precision fermentation biomanufacturing. Hydrolysates for cultivated meat — Optimizing raw material processing and characterization to enable lower-cost and higher-performing hydrolysate ingredients for cultivated meat media. All proposals must be applicable to meat alternatives and …

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Dr Charli Kruse

Dr Charli Kruse © CellTec Systems

CellTec Systems: “Whether it is Slaughtered or Cultured Meat Will Probably Make No Difference to the Consumer in Terms of Sensory Experience”

The Lübeck-based company CellTec Systems sees itself as the first German full-service provider for industrial cell production. Anyone wanting to get into cellular agriculture can obtain all the building blocks for production here: Cells, nutrient solution, bioreactors, and even training and consultancy services. What makes the company, which is a spin-off of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the University of Lübeck, so special is its 25 years of expertise in cell cultivation. CellTec Systems has also developed a special bioreactor with hydrogel capsules designed to cover the immense space requirements of dividing cells. Professor Dr Charli Kruse, co-founder and scientific director of CellTec Systems, talks to us in an interview about why he describes his colleagues and himself as cell whisperers, how the patented reactor with hydrogel …

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Aspergillus-oryzae-koji

Aspergillus oryzae © sinhyu - stock.adobe.com

Berkeley Lab Chef-Bioengineer Biohacks Fungal Genes to Discover New Possibilities in Flavors and Textures

As published in Nature Communications, UC Berkeley is pioneering research into sustainable protein sources to foster a smarter food industry. Utilizing advancements in genetic engineering, researchers are tapping into microorganisms to develop cruelty-free and environmentally friendly products. Fungi, recognized for their rich nutritional content and natural production of proteins, fats, antioxidants, and flavor molecules, are at the forefront of these innovations. Chef-turned-bioengineer Vayu Hill-Maini, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is exploring how genetic modifications in mushrooms can introduce new flavors and textures. His work, particularly with the multicellular fungus Aspergillus oryzae (koji mold), involves utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to enhance the mold’s qualities as a food source, including increasing heme and ergothioneine production for health benefits and improved taste. The start of leveraging fungal …

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plant-based yogurt in a glass bowl

© Nishihama – stock.adobe.com

Research Finds Novel Method of Improving Gelling and Texture Properties of Soy Yogurt

Chinese researchers have developed a new approach to improving the properties of soy yogurt through different processing techniques. The study investigated the impact of three factors — the soybean proteins 7S and 11S, homogenization pressure, and glycation modified with glucose — on the gelling of soy yogurt. Homogenization is the process of making two non-soluble liquids the same throughout, while glycation involves attaching a sugar to a protein through covalent bonding (the sharing of electron pairs between atoms). The results indicate that using a 7S/11S globulin-glucose conjugate at a 1:3 ratio, combined with a homogenization pressure of 110 MPa, significantly improves the properties of soy yogurt. The resulting product has better characteristics than soy yogurts made using additives such as pectin or maltodextrin. “These findings provide …

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Quorn katsu style chicken

© Quorn Foods

Changing the Game for Vegan Analogs: Study Explores Effects of Iron Fortification in Mycoprotein Products Without Egg Whites

In the ever-evolving landscape of food industry innovations, the spotlight is now on the development of meat alternatives that provide consumers with a sustainable option and meet the nutritional needs of comparable animal proteins. A recent study by Professor Brent Murray from the University of Leeds, funded by Quorn Foods, investigated the effects of iron fortification in mycoprotein products developed with potato protein instead of egg whites. Egg whites are incorporated into mycoprotein products as functional ingredients and binders to create appealing textures. However, the growing demand for plant-based meat alternatives and egg allergenicity are driving the replacement of egg white proteins with plant proteins.  In a related research about the interactions between fungal hyphae and egg white protein the scientists found that that potato proteins offer high …

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Meat Analogue developed by Lund University

© Lund University

Lund University Researchers Uncover Optimal Raw Material Blend for the Most Appealing Plant-Based Meat

Food technology researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found the best raw material combination to make the most appetizing plant-based meat using extrusion: wheat gluten and hemp seed. The research, led by Karolina Östbring and Jeanette Purhagen, focuses on creating alternatives that mimic the texture and consistency of real meat, addressing the common complaint that vegan food does not deliver the “meaty” experience.   Focusing on texture, temperature, and taste — the three “Ts” — the team discovered a way to introduce chewiness into vegetable meat by imitating muscle fibers, using an extruder and various raw materials.  According to Purhagen, extruders are essential for producing meat analogs with suitable, long fibers, providing the desired chewy texture that people appreciate in meat.  Finding the optimal combination  …

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