DEVELOPING PROTEINS in the laboratory to supplement the diet in households across the country is one of the areas in which the Department of Biotechnology is looking to fund research under the government’s recently launched BioE3 initiative.
The move to develop the “smart proteins”, which will taste like and have the texture of real protein sources, is aimed at making food sources climate resilient.
“Traditional food systems contribute significantly to carbon emissions, resource overuse, and challenges like food insecurity, climate change, and zoonotic diseases. As demand for food rises, scaling these systems threatens sustainability,” says a department document calling for research in the area.
Not only is the smart protein meant to reduce land, water, and energy requirements, it is expected to address widespread protein deficiencies in the country.
The Department of Biotechnology, which has already invited applications for grants from scientists, will fund research aimed at developing these proteins as well as addressing gaps in scaling up production. It aims to create an ecosystem that can enable safe, affordable, and efficient manufacturing of the proteins. “The possibilities of protein manufacturing are vast and ongoing research and development efforts coordinated by the Department of Biotechnology under the government BioE3 policy will drive growth and innovation in this field,” Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, told The Indian Express.
The department will focus on proteins manufactured largely through three methods.
One, fermentation-derived proteins, which are essentially proteins from microbes. Many strains of algae, bacteria, and fungi are known to generate proteins that can be used as substitutes for meat. The challenge, however, is to develop cost-effective bio-manufacturing processes that can make it commercially viable.
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Research in this method, according to the department document, should aim at designing and developing recombinant microbial systems for fermentation, streamlining pathways for higher yield, using gene editing to improve strain productivity and reduce by-products, and optimising processes to remove allergens and toxins. The research would also focus on developing processes that can utilise agricultural by-products or other sources for the fertilisation process instead of glucose.
Two, plant-based proteins, which can mimic the taste and texture of meat. The research in this area will focus on utilising untapped crops and agricultural by-products for extraction of proteins; designing and developing structures that combine plant-based and fermentation-based proteins for better texture, flavour, and nutrition; and also ways to mask the flavour.
The research will also look into ways to address issues such as pesticide residue, allergens, and anti-nutrients (compounds in plant products that can make it harder for the body to absorb the nutrients).
Three, the research will also look at proteins based on cell culture. This is another area that has garnered a lot of attention from the food industry. Instead of micro-organisms used for fermentation-derived proteins, this method produces edible proteins by growing animal cells in the laboratory. This completely eliminates the need to raise and slaughter animals for consumption.