Potato to protein: Israeli start-up leverages molecular farming to formulate patatin and ovalbumin

02 Apr 2024 --- Biotech start-up PoLoPo has unveiled the SuperAA platform — a molecular farming system that uses metabolic engineering techniques to formulate proteins in common plant crops. The method is currently deployed in potatoes in greenhouses to generate both a native protein (patatin) and egg protein (ovalbumin).

The technique has the potential to support a more resilient and sustainable food system, along with economic benefits for agri-tech and potato farming, says the company.

The SuperAA platform turns the potato plant into a “micro-biofactory” that manufactures the target amino acids in the plant and stores them in the tuber, for subsequent extraction and processing.

“Molecular farming is the production of metabolites and proteins in plants via genetic engineering. At PoLoPo, a B2B company, we are working to produce identical animal-based proteins in potato plants,” Dr. Maya Sapir-Mir, CEO of PoLoPo tells Food Ingredients First.

“Our proteins are identical to those of animals. They are functional, with the same nutritional value, but made much more sustainably since growing potatoes is much less resource-intensive than growing/farming animals.”

She adds that the solution will help the F&B industry become more sustainable, resource-efficient and stable while also reducing its dependence on animals, which are easily affected by climate change and diseases.

Tapping into resilience
According to Sapir-Mir, the company chose potato as the host organism for its protein technology because of its resilience in diverse climates, low growth costs, high yield per land use, and compatibility with existing harvesting technology.

PoLoPo “teaches” the plants which protein they are interested in and then grows them as typical potato plants (Image credit: PoLoPo).“Our platform is built on potato plants, which are very resilient to climate change and are grown almost anywhere in the world. Now, imagine those plants are not used to feed animals but replace them as efficient protein factories.”

“We insert a DNA sequence into the potato plant genome. When appropriately expressed in the right tissue and at the right time (PoLoPo’s specialty), it causes the production and accumulation of the protein we are interested in, only in the potato tuber, without affecting the potato growth and yield,” she explains.

Once the formulators “teach” the plants which protein they are interested in, they grow them as typical potato plants, followed by harvesting and protein extraction. Traditional potato processing lines do this, subsequently drying them into protein powder for integration into current food processing lines.

Protein and beyond
The company is currently using the SuperAA platform to develop increased patatin, the main protein found in potatoes and ovalbumin — an egg-derived ingredient used in packaged foods for its functional properties (texture and stability) and enhancing nutritional value and shelf life.

“Patatin is one preferred raw material from a plant-based source used in meat alternatives, bakery products, snack foods and other products,” highlights Sapir-Mir.

Patatin is non-allergenic and can contribute to the texture, structure and mouthfeel of food products. It also has a “neutral” flavor profile, which allows formulators to incorporate it into various food applications without significantly altering the final product’s taste.

In times of "eggflation," PoLoPo’s other protein, ovalbumin, is marketed as an affordable alternative.With varied F&B applications across plant-based meat and dairy, cereals, beverages, sports nutrition and nutraceuticals, PoLoPo also views a high-protein potato as a resource to improve food security in regions impacted by malnutrition.

PoLoPo’s other protein, ovalbumin, is marketed as an “affordable alternative” to an industry reeling from increased egg prices, supply chain instability and avian flu outbreaks. The global ovalbumin-powder market is expected to hit US$36 billion by 2032 due to increasing consumer preference.

Eggflation is still painful for some EU countries’ consumers such as in Slovakia (68.7% year-on-year inflation), Croatia (50% inflation) and Hungary (46.1%), which is driving innovation for egg substitutes.

Supporting farmers
In agriculture, it is common for farmers to work with producers and food processors. Farmers grow the crop for their clients and get paid for the produce, observes Sapir-Mir.

“Working with us and growing our potatoes will allow farmers to grow a high-value crop.”

In future, the company’s protein technique can be applied to other crops, but for now, the team is more focused on producing other proteins (besides Ovalbumin).

“We are starting with egg protein, but many other proteins, such as dairy proteins, can be produced with our SuperAA platform and we are looking forward to seeing how this versatility impacts our food production industry,” she concludes.

Potato is a widely used crop in F&B, urging scientists to look for ways to prevent post-harvest loss (Image credit: PoLoPo).Last year, PoLoPo closed a pre-seed round of US$2.3 million, enabling it to develop its potato-to-protein pipeline rapidly.

Potato innovations
Potato is widely used in the F&B industry in snack processing, restaurants and grocery stores. 

However, as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the crop suffers from post-harvest losses, majorly caused by physiological and disease-related processes (10-15%).

Earlier this year, USDA scientists looked into the issue by conducting a life cycle analysis of potato cultivars to study the crop’s development, production and post-harvest storage to address post-harvest physiological challenges. They also explored advanced potato breeding material for post-harvest storage, food quality and safety characteristics.

Moreover, in Canada, researchers created a “super pangenome” that captures the complete genetic diversity across multiple potato species to identify genetic traits that can help improve its resilience and nutritional quality.

By Insha Naureen