In the food tech industry, everyone is talking about the myriad of obstacles and opportunities surrounding using proteins to create a variety of new foods.
It's difficult to find the perfect proteins in nature, which is why a number of companies have dedicated themselves to developing and optimizing "designer proteins."
AI Bobby is a French AI startup that uses AI as an example. Improving protein function in meat substitutes. Israeli manufacturer Amai Proteins Sweet proteins are designed and producedAs an alternative to artificial sweeteners.
Another is Cradle, a Zurich-based startup. Cradle uses generative AI technology to design proteins with a range of different applications in mind, such as cultured meat or enzymes to ensure food safety.
Nature is incredibly creative. We can’t even begin to understand the functions of many proteins. This is evident in both our food and our medicines. We can learn a lot from the natural world. “But very often, what we’re trying to accomplish as humans, nature isn’t quite able to find,” said Elise de Reus, co-founder of Cradle.
She explained that proteins from nature can often be used as a starting point, but Cradle technology allows them to be improved for new functions.
Designing proteins
Cradle creates proteins to meet the specific needs of its customers. To do this, proteins must have certain properties.
Now, proteins are found in every part of a living system, including the foods we eat, whey drinks, and eggs. [for example]They also make up a large part of working cells. They catalyze chemical reactions and help them change from one state to another. Reus explained that they provide structure and can be used in a variety of ways.
Proteins can be found in nature and can also be developed in the laboratory using technologies.
AI can make processes more efficient.
Reus says useful proteins are found in the natural world. Certain enzymes, for example, can help bread last longer. This reduces the amount of bread that goes to waste.
In some cases, it may be desirable to add a new feature, such as extending the shelf life of the protein at room temperature. A modification would need to be made.
Reus said developing such a protean could take years of R&D. Cradle, which uses generative AI, could speed up that process.
Like chatbots like ChatGPT, the models used by Cradle use machine learning. They are not trained on human language, like ChatGPT. Instead, they use protein-based language.
Scientists can look at different protein sequences and how they behave in the lab and make suggestions about how to improve them.
What are the uses of these proteins in foods?
Beyond nutrition, proteins have many uses in food. Reus explained that enzymes are also used as preservatives and can help make juices clear instead of opaque.
In order to create flavors, enzymes can be added. Nudkatone, for example, is a compound derived from grapefruit that provides the flavor. However, Reus says it would take 400,000 kg of grapefruit to produce one kilogram of purified nudkatone. You can use an enzyme instead to create the molecule.
You can use enzymes to remove unpleasant flavors from plant-based foods. They can be obtained naturally or modified to remove off-flavors.
The Cradle is also a great tool for designing growth factors. Cultured meat. Some proteins are needed to send signals from the body that would otherwise be sent by growth factors. These proteins can be found in nature but are unstable and easily degraded. This stability can be improved by machine learning, increasing the chances of scaling cultured meat.
Protein Creation
DNA can create proteins. Reus explained that the starting point is the DNA sequence. Then you would add the DNA sequence to the cell which has the tools to convert that DNA into protein.
Then this protein could sit inside the cellular factory like a little machine to catalyze a reaction.
They can serve as a product or simply as a function, such as removing unpleasant tastes or clarifying juices. Whey protein, for example, is not used to serve a purpose but as a product in itself.
In the lab, proteins are tested on a small scale to ensure their effectiveness. Reus said baking enzymes could be tested in 1 mm loaves.
English 
French