Food tech start-up develops hybrid plant-and cell-based alternative proteins

Moolec Science is piloting an emergent concept called molecular farming to bioengineer crops that produce biomolecules for food applications. The new hybrid concept combines plant-based and cell-based to develop a sustainable protein solution that is also cost-effective. The agri-food tech start-up aims to produce unique blends of highly functional proteins from bovine and porcine origins in protein-rich crops such as soybean and peas. Through this bridging of plant-based and cell-based technologies, the company aims to introduce a “new generation of meat analogs.”

“A plant itself, like any other organism, is a bioreactor. Plants use CO2 as feed material and convert it into biomaterials. Through crop modulation, we use the plant’s in-house bio-machinery to produce valuable biomolecules, such as food-proteins.