Project governance (WP1) aims to ensure effective coordination among partners, rigorous monitoring of project activities, and financial management. It guarantees the smooth implementation of the project and compliance with the planned milestone and deadlines.
The originality and innovative character of the µO-PROT project lie in the integration and holistic approach, which considers all key components from the very beginning : from bioproduction (WP2) and downstream processing steps (WP3), to nutritional and toxicological characterization (WP4), as well as biochemical and functional characterization (WP5), enabling a comprehensive assessment of potential of this resource. In addition, a dedicated work package (WP6) addresses the broader societal challenges, including environmental impact of the process, techno-economic assessment, consumer acceptance aspects, and the regulatory framework related to “Novel Food”.
Bioproduction (WP2)
This research area aims to develop and optimize the production of microbial proteins from yeasts and bacteria for applications in human nutrition. The objective is to harness the intrinsic metabolic flexibility of microorganisms (yeasts and bacteria) to modulate their metabolism in response to cultivation conditions.
By implementing advanced fermentation strategies and nutritional engineering approaches, we aim to tailor the content and composition of these SCPs to develop protein blends with diverse nutritional and functional properties (e.g. blends enriched in lipids, carotenoids, etc.). Kinetic analyses of microbial cultures, combined with detailed characterizations of SCP composition, will enable the identification of optimal production conditions to achieve targeted functionalities.
In addition, a dedicated sub-task will address the scale-up of the process from laboratory scale to pilot scale in order to:
- produce batches required to support the activities conducted within the other work packages (extraction/purification, toxicology, nutrition and biochemical characterization);
- generate and provide operational and performance data required for the techno-economic and environmental assessment of the bioproduction process.
Partners involved
Downstream processing (WP3)
This work package aims to investigate and optimize the recovery of proteins from yeasts and bacteria to develop an industrially viable production process, while also providing partners with protein fractions exhibiting well-defined and controlled properties.
The research integrates a range of cell disruption techniques, including mechanical and physical methods, with liquid/solid separation processes such as centrifugation and filtration, as well as purification processes including precipitation and membrane filtration. This approach also involves the development of proteomic techniques, in collaboration with the Wageningen Research Centre, to achieve a more comprehensive characterization of extracted proteins and to provide deeper insights into how individual processing steps influence the composition of the different fractions.
The laboratory-scale research conducted to optimize a robust and reliable process will subsequently be validated at pilot scale through the production of protein batches for the project partners.
Scale-up considerations are integrated from the outset of laboratory-scale experimentation, ensuring that process development is inherently compatible with pilot-scale implementation and facilitating the transfer of the process to larger-scale production.
Partners involved
Nutritional and toxicological characterisation (WP4)
This work package aims to provide an initial toxicological and nutritional characterization of proteins derived from yeast and bacteria.
To achieve this objective, several dedicated sub-tasks have been established:
- In vitro toxicological screening of protein extracts using intestinal or hepatic cell lines (WP4.1);
- Assessment of intestinal barrier function through in vitro and ex vivo approaches, together with an in vivo evaluation of protein digestibility (WP4.2);
- A multidisciplinary evaluation encompassing the assessment of protein nutritional quality (WP4.3), the investigations into their effects on toxicity-related parameters (WP4.4), intestinal barrier function and the microbiota (WP4.5).
Together, these studies will provide the scientific basis for selecting the most promising yeast- and bacteria-derived proteins for further development.
Biochemical and functional characterisation (WP5)
This work package aims to provide an in-depth characterization of the SCPs produced in work packages 2 and 3, with the objective of establishing a comprehensive chemical fingerprint of the resulting extracts. To achieve this, advanced analytical methods and workflows required for this characterization will first be developed and optimized. This initial phase will enable a better understanding of chemical complexity of the extracts, improve analyte coverage and accessibility, and ultimately enhance the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and reliability of their chemical characterization
Both crude and purified SCPs will be characterized using a comprehensive set of nutritional indicators defined in collaboration with the consortium. These parameters will include protein content and amino acid profile, dry matter content, mineral content and trace element composition, lipid content, carbohydrate content, and carotenoid content and composition. Particular attention will also be given to the RNA and purine contents of the extracts, which are key indicators for nutritional quality.
Furthermore, a dedicated sub-task will focus on characterizing the functional properties of the produced SCPS, with the aim of predicting the behavior of these extracts and assessing their impact on the quality and sensory characteristics of the final products. Hydration properties (protein–water interactions), structuring properties (protein–protein interactions), and surface properties (protein–other component interactions) may, in particular, be assessed.
Partners involved
Societal challenges (WP6)
This work package aims to assess the feasibility of bringing new consumer-oriented food products to market, while considering their environmental performance.
It will evaluate consumer acceptance of these innovative products, including their willingness to purchase them and the price they would be willing to pay.
In parallel, the environmental impact of the various process operations involved in the bioprocess, encompassing both bioproduction and extraction/purification steps, will be assessed to determine the overall environmental footprint of the process.