Plant Molecular Farming

Raw potato on color background

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

10 Molecular Farming Startups Transforming Everyday Plants into Protein Powerhouses

Today, we bring you a roundup of molecular farming startups transforming plants into biofactories to produce alternatives to animal proteins, pigments, next-gen sweeteners, and growth factors. Plant molecular farming, an additional production approach to plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation, promises unlimited and cost-effective ingredients for food and other industries. Since it doesn’t require expensive infrastructure and bioreactors — only the magic of plants and bioengineering —  existing greenhouses and fields can become ingredient factories, ensuring a straightforward industrial scale-up and competitive prices. Each of the following startups has chosen a plant as its production facility: 1. VelozBio, Mexico: Discarded  fruits VelozBio, a startup based in Monterrey founded in 2020,  claims to have developed the world’s fastest protein design and development platform. VelozBio produces high-value proteins, including casein, by expressing target …

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The Israeli-based food-tech startup NewMoo has emerged from stealth mode, unveiling a plant molecular farming platform for producing caseins in agricultural plant seeds. 

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

NewMoo Emerges from Stealth Using Plant Seeds as ‘Bioreactors’ to Grow Casein Proteins for Animal-Free Dairy

NewMoo has emerged from stealth mode, unveiling a plant molecular farming platform for producing caseins in agricultural plant seeds. “Our approach doesn’t require expensive bioreactor machinery to grow our proteins. The plant seeds themselves act as bioreactors,” explains the Israeli startup. Considered the “holy grail” of milk structure by the dairy industry, caseins are responsible for the taste and functional properties consumers love about cheese: melting, stretching, and bubbling. NewMoo claims that its caseins are equivalent to cow-derived proteins in terms of nutrition, composition, and functionality. By utilizing plants instead of cows for production, NewMoo offers a cost-effective, animal-free, and sustainable method for creating a wide range of dairy products, including cheese. Daphna Miller, NewMoo co-founder and CEO, comments, “This method of making previously animal-based foods …

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Egg Alternatives

PoLoPo Seeks USDA Approval, Says Production of Egg Proteins in “Plants, Not Animals, Will Set Off a Domino Effect in Sustainability”

Israeli agrifood startup PoLoPo announces it has initiated the regulatory approval process to grow egg proteins in genetically modified potatoes in the USA.  PoLoPo explains that it has applied for a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to review its molecular farming platform called Super AA. The approval process evaluates whether GMO potatoes are as safe for agriculture and do not present additional pest risks as conventionally farmed potatoes. The USDA approval, expected within six months, will allow the company to advance its commercial plans, including partnering with local farmers to use its technology. The startup claims to be the first Israeli molecular farming company to seek US regulatory approval. PoLoPo CEO Maya Sapir-Mir comments: “This …

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Finally Foods utilize plants as "bioreactors," modifying them with cutting-edge technology to grow sustainable alternatives to animal-based proteins, starting with casein to make cheese.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Finally Foods Secures Funds for AI-Driven Plant Molecular Tech to Produce Casein for Cheese

Israeli startup Finally Foods Ltd., an AI-driven company focused on revolutionizing the alt-protein sector through plant molecular farming, has secured pre-seed funding from The Kitchen FoodTech Hub (TKH) and the Israeli Innovation Authority (IIA).  Finally Foods utilizes potatoes as “bioreactors,” modifying them with cutting-edge technology to grow sustainable alternatives to animal-based proteins. It will start by producing casein, the key protein to make “cheese that’s gentle on our planet and a joy for the taste buds.” The new company leverages AI technology developed by the Israeli computational biology company Evogene. This technology enables the rapid discovery and development of biological markers for genetic engineering and other applications. It also promises short R&D cycles and a swift path to market. Sustainable future According to the announcement, …

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PoLoPo unveils its SuperAA plant molecular farming platform already deployed in potato plants at a greenhouse scale.

Image courtesy of PoLoPo
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

PoLoPo Unveils Molecular Farming Platform in Potato Plants to Grow Egg Proteins

Last year, the Israeli agrifood startup PoLoPo raised $2.3 million, including $1.75 million in a pre-seed funding round to further develop its plant molecular farming technology for producing animal proteins in potatoes. Now, the startup unveils its molecular farming platform, SuperAA, already deployed in potato plants at a greenhouse scale. The initial focus of PoLoPo’s platform will be producing two key proteins: ovalbumin and patatin (the natural protein in potatoes). Ovalbumin, widely used in packaged foods for its functional properties, presents an affordable alternative to the industry amidst increasing egg prices and supply chain disruptions.  On the other hand, a patatin powder offers allergen-free protein suitable for various food products, from plant-based alternatives, such as DUG potato milk, to sports nutrition and nutraceuticals. Plant molecular farming is also used …

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New Zealand's Miruku, a startup growing dairy proteins in plants, has raised $5 million (NZD 8 million) in a pre-series A round to support its B2B model.

Back: (L) Abby Thompson and Ira Bing - Front: (L) Thomas Buchanan, Amos Palfreyman, and Lachlan Nixon (Motion Capital) © Miruku
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Miruku Secures $5M to Develop Proteins in Oilseed Crops for Dairy 2.0 Products 

Miruku, a New Zealand startup developing novel dairy proteins and fats using molecular farming and oilseed crops, has raised $5 million (NZD8 million) in a pre-series A round to support its B2B model.  Motion Capital led the round with the participation of previous seed investor Movac and new investors NZVC, Cultivate Ventures, and Icehouse Ventures. The funding brings the startup’s total investment to $7.4 million, having previously raised $2.4 million in an oversubscribed seed round. With the new capital, the company will advance its “dairy seed system” and conduct trials for its initial crop cultivation with farming partners in Australia, including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an Australian government agency. More efficient than other technologies Miruku’s approach promises to offer an efficient solution to meet global …

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Nobell grilled cheese sandwich

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Company News

Downey Jr-Backed Nobell Foods Wins Fast Company Award For “World’s First” Plant-Grown Cheese

Nobell Foods announces it has taken the top spot in the Agriculture category at Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards 2023, for its product which is self-described as the world’s first plant-grown cheese. The news comes shortly after Nobell hired Sergey Solomatin, previously of Impossible Foods, ahead of this period of strategic growth for the company. In July 2021, the San Francisco-based raised $75 million in Series B funding from numerous investors, including Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition Ventures. The startup said it would use the funding to expand its team and farming partnerships, scale production, and bring its product to market. Real dairy proteins at low cost Nobell was recognized for its work in creating highly realistic animal-free cheeses using real dairy proteins such …

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Nobell cheese platter

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Protein

Plant Molecular Farming: A Fourth Emerging Alt Protein Category?

The GFI has released its trio of State of the Industry reports, discussing the pillar categories of plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-enabled proteins. The reports also hint at a fourth emerging category — plant molecular farming (PMF). PMF works in a similar way to fermentation, but the process takes place inside plants instead of bioreactors. This could eliminate the scaling challenges of producing proteins in large fermentation tanks, with the process instead taking place in greenhouses or even open fields. According to the GFI, there are already 12 known companies working in this area. These include the US’ Nobell Foods, which uses soybeans to grow animal-free casein, and New Zealand’s Miruku, which uses this method to produce dairy proteins, sugars, and fats. Similarly, Israel’s BioBetter uses …

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