Hello r/AskScience!

Joining us are Lucas Eastham, M.S., Priera Panescu, Ph.D., and Bryan Quoc Le, Ph.D., who are here to answer all your questions about upcycling agricultural "leftovers" for the production of alternative proteins.

Upcycling sidestreams is a critical step toward creating circular bioeconomies that produce food more efficiently, affordably, and sustainably. The Good Food Institute (GFI), a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals, recently released a new report, "Cultivating alternative proteins from commodity crop sidestreams." Find the GFI Sidestreams analysis report here and webinar here.

The report identifies sidestreams ("leftovers") that have tremendous potential to maximize food production via alternative proteins, while also reducing the costs and environmental impacts of agricultural waste. Specifically, this analysis identifies the optimal sidestreams candidates from North America's top crops that could be valorized for (1) protein concentrates for plant-based food ingredients, (2) protein hydrolysates for fermentation or cultivated meat media, and (3) lignocellulosic sugars for fermentation media.

This analysis highlights the major challenges associated with bringing these sidestreams into commercial use for the food industry. It also outlines strategic geographic opportunity areas and the need for public-private partnerships to fully exploit the economic and environmental potential sidestreams offer. Ultimately, the report aims to provide a landscape and actionable insights that commercial, non-profit, and public sector stakeholders can use to direct their efforts in building a sustainable, circular bioeconomy in the food industry.

Lucas Eastham (/u/lucase-GFI) is a Senior Fermentation Scientist at The Good Food Institute, and previously worked for 10 years in microbial biotechnology bioprocess development for biofuels, biofertilizers, food ingredients, and cosmetic ingredients.

Dr. Priera Panescu (/u/Chemical_Preaction) is a Lead Scientist at The Good Food Institute. She is focused on analyzing plant-based meat and proteins, and how to expedite their progress. Prior to GFI, she spent nearly a decade working on polymer, formulation, and materials chemistry research.

Dr. Bryan Quoc Le (/u/UpSaltOS) is a food scientist, food industry consultant, author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered, and Faculty Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at Pacific Lutheran University.

We will be available from 12:00PM EST to 4:00PM EST (17-21 UT) on Monday, December 18th, 2023. Ask Us Anything!