The µO-PROT consortium brings together partners from a wide range of backgrounds, including six public research laboratories (TBI, LCAI, PNCA, Toxalim, PSAE and SayFood), two technology resource centers (CRITT Bio-Industries and CRT-CATAR), affiliated with three institutions (INSA, INRAE and Toulouse INP), as well as one industrial partner (Eurosafe). The academic partners contribute recognized expertise in (bio)process engineering (TBI, LCAI), nutrition physiology and toxicology (Toxalim, PNCA), and applied economics (PSAE, SayFood). They are supported by two technology resource centers specializing in bioproduction and downstream processing (CRITT Bio-Industries), and in biochemical and functional characterization (CRT-CATAR). In addition, the participation of the industrial partner Eurosafe, with its expertise in cell and tissue culture, toxicological assessment and regulatory affairs, provides significant added value to the project.
By combining the complementary expertise of its partners with the integrated systems approach, the µO-PROT project, is uniquely positioned to address every stage of the development pathway for this promising new food ingredient, from sustainable production and functional characterization to product development, consumer acceptance, and environmental assessment.
INSA Toulouse
INSA Toulouse (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées), the institution coordinating the project, is a public engineering school with an international reputation and a multidisciplinary profile, recognized for the excellence of its five-year engineering programmes. INSA Toulouse is involved in numerous interdisciplinary research areas, including microbial systems, biotechnology, water and process engineering. The institution hosts eight affiliated research laboratories, including TBI, three collaborative research structures, including TWB (Toulouse White Biotechnology), as well as two technological research centers, including CRITT Bio-Industries. INSA Toulouse is also a member of the BioEco Graduate School (EUR) “Biotechnology for a Bio-based Economy”, which provides students with opportunities to participate in summer schools and scholarship programmes supporting truly sustainable development.
TBI - Toulouse Biotechnology Institute
TBI is a public research laboratory supported by INSA Toulouse, CNRS and INRAE, combining fundamental and applied research in the field of biotechnology.
By combining scientific excellence with economic and societal relevance, the laboratory is structured around four scientific departments and one technology department.
With strong expertise in both life sciences and engineering sciences, the institute develops a multi-scale, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research strategy to address the challenges of the bioeconomy, supported by an extensive network of public and private partners.
CRITT Bio-industries
Expert in Industrial Biotechnologies and Separation Techniques, CRITT Bio-Industries has been supporting companies and public organizations in their research and development projects, from proof of concept to industrial scale-up, through privileged partnerships.
Toulouse INP
Founded in 1969, Toulouse INP is a leading institution in engineering education and research, and a key contributor to the Toulouse academic landscape. The institution stands out for its diverse range of programmes, recognized for their academic excellence. Ranked among the leading national and international institutions, Toulouse INP is a member of the INP Group, France’s largest network of engineering schools.
The Toulouse National Polytechnic Institute comprises three founding engineering schools (INP-AgroToulouse, INP-ENSEEIHT and INP-ENSIACET), whose programmes are strongly supported by the institution’s research laboratories, as well as a lifelong learning institute (IPST-Cnam). It provides an environment conducive to innovation and strongly open to international collaboration. Toulouse INP offers students high-quality education, a wide range of programmes tailored to industry needs, and strong pathways towards professional integration.
Toulouse INP is a university committed to the energy transition and sustainable development.
LCAI - Agro-Industrial Chemistry Laboratory
The Agro-Industrial Chemistry Laboratory (LCAI), a pioneer in the field of chemical biomass conversion, is a joint research unit of Toulouse INP and INRAE, located across two sites: Toulouse (INP-ENSIACET) and Tarbes (UTTOP), where its Agromat pilot facility is based. This facility is equipped with dedicated demonstration-scale tools for the fractionation of agro-resources and the processing of bio-based materials.
INRAE
INRAE is strongly involved in the project, with all six academic partners (TBI, LCAI, Toxalim, PNCA, PSAE and SayFood) being INRAE joint research units (UMRs) affiliated with three INRAE departments (TRANSFORM, ALIMH and ECOSOCIO). INRAE has developed the “INRAE 2030” roadmap to address the future challenges of agriculture, food and the environment. Five scientific priorities and three policy priorities have been identified within the “INRAE 2030 Priorities”, including scientific priority SP2: “Accelerating agroecological and food transitions while addressing socio-economic challenges”. This priority notably includes the areas SP2.4 “Creating high-quality diets” and SP2.5 “Healthy, sustainable, accessible and satisfying food for all”. Within this framework, research on alternative proteins—integrating bioprocesses, nutrition, food safety and health, consumer expectations and environmental challenges—is highly relevant.
PNCA
PNCA – Physiology of Nutrition and Eating Behavior – is a joint research unit of INRAE and AgroParisTech, located on the Agro Paris-Saclay campus. The aim of its research is to assess how variations in protein intake, in terms of both quality and quantity, influence physiology, metabolism and eating behavior under different physiological or pathophysiological conditions, and how these effects impact health.
Toxalim
TOXALIM is a research unit covering a broad range of scientific fields in the area of food toxicology, from digestive pathophysiology to disruptions in gene expression involved in the development of metabolic diseases and cancers. Its research activities are supported by the internationally recognized expertise of its teams in pharmacology, analytical chemistry, metabolomics, transcriptomics and related disciplines.
Sayfood
SayFood – Food and Bioproduct Engineering – is a research unit created in 2020 by INRAE and AgroParisTech. Its mission is to acquire new scientific knowledge and develop innovative approaches in product and process engineering. The unit aims to contribute to the development of new sustainable food systems by adopting an interdisciplinary approach across the “design-to-consumption” continuum. To conduct its research, SayFood relies on a broad range of disciplines, including food science, microbiology, process engineering and consumer sciences.
Paris-Saclay Applied Economics (PSAE)
Paris-Saclay Applied Economics (PSAE) is a joint research unit in applied economics affiliated with INRAE and AgroParisTech, and part of Université Paris-Saclay. It conducts econometric and quantitative analyses on issues related to agriculture, food and the environment. The unit also contributes to the evaluation of public policies and regulations.
CRT CATAR
Affiliated with the Agro-Industrial Chemistry Laboratory (a joint research unit, UMR 1010 INRAE–Toulouse INP), CRT-CATAR specializes in the valorization of biomass derived from agriculture and forestry. It supports SMEs in their innovation and technology transfer projects through customized research and development services, expertise and training programs. CRT-CATAR valorizes co-products to produce extracts through “green” fractionation processes and to design bio-based agromaterials by combining extrusion technologies with molding processes. The center benefits from the expertise of more than 60 researchers and has access to technological resources enabling trials to be conducted from laboratory scale to pre-industrial scale.
CRT-CATAR has been certified as a Technology Resource Centre (CRT No. 96/7) by the French Ministries of Research and Industry since 1996 and is a partner of the Carnot 3Bcar Institute.
Eurosafe
Eurosafe is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) based in Brittany, specializing in the safety and efficacy assessment of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and medical devices. With 20 years of experience, Eurosafe supports industrial stakeholders in ensuring regulatory compliance and evaluating the safety and efficacy of their products, thereby contributing to consumer safety. The company offers a comprehensive range of services, from in silico and in vitro analyses to clinical studies, to ensure the development of safe and high-performance products. Our laboratory is GLP-certified.