National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC)

We are pleased to announce the launch of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC). The UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK have announced £15m funding over the next five years, with the remainder of the support coming from partners. The centre will be hosted by the University of Leeds and co-led by the The James Hutton Institute, the The University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London.  Researchers aim to create a pan-UK innovation centre to secure a continuous supply of safe, tasty, affordable, and healthy proteins which also support Net Zero goals and futureproof the UK’s food and animal feed security. Read more 👇

We are pleased to share that our new website www.napic.ac.uk is live 🥳 On our website, you will find out more about who we are, who we partner with, and any opportunities to get involved with us from job vacancies to industry membership. Please take a look around!

🌟 #AUFOOD 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫! 🌟👨🔬💚 🚀 We are thrilled to announce that #AUFOOD has entered a groundbreaking partnership with the new British ‘virtual’ center National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) worth 337 million kroner! 🌍✨ This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our journey towards innovative food science and technology. By joining forces, we aim to push the boundaries of food research and development as the center explores the potential of cultured meat, insect-based proteins, and fermentation-derived proteins to become sustainable and nutritious components of our diet. 🥗🥩🍴 This partnership will enable us to explore brand new frontiers on sustainable food production, enhance food quality, and drive forward our mission of creating a healthier, more sustainable future of food for all! 🌱🔬 👉 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: https://lnkd.in/dxuwWiX9

📢 📢 Postdoctoctoral Position on Colloid Chemistry and an exciting opportunity to join National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC)!! Do you have an established background in #colloid and interface science and want to embark in this journey of discovering new knowledge in #alternativeproteins? I have an exciting postdoctoral opportunity in my lab where the postdoctoral fellow will be working with me, Prof. Brent S. Murray and Prof. Nik Watson. This particular postdoctoral project will be using a combination of experimental #colloidal measurements and machine learning to collate and compare the functional properties of #plantproteins with well-established animal proteins with a view to predicting the performance of #plantproteins that might most successfully replace current animal-based food structures in ingredients or in finished food applications. The sort of functional properties that we will focus on are: solubility, molecular dimensions, #interfacial tension, protein surface load, #foam- and #emulsion- stabilizing properties, interfacial rheological properties, gelation and #tribological properties. You will also join a highly dynamic, interdisciplinary team of postdoctoral fellows and PhD students focusing on the whole theme of alternative proteins, collaborating with a wide range of academics and industrial partners, helping to run workshops, develop micro credentials and outreach activities as well as conducting your own research program in #alterantiveprotein space. If this is exciting, please apply here: https://lnkd.in/eE_7npMW by 10th December.

We're #Hiring! Research and Innovation Fellow in Colloid Chemistry of Alternative Proteins ☑ Do you have an established background in colloid and interface science and interests in discovering new knowledge in alternative proteins? ☑ Are you interested to explore the innovation potential of a scientific discovery to bring the research to marketplace by working with food industry stakeholders? ☑ Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities? Deadline: 10th December https://lnkd.in/e4vQAHQp #AcademicJobs #ResearchJobs #AlternativeProteins #Vacancy

We are #hiring two new positions based at The University of Sheffield. These positions are part of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), a £38m entity (including £15m UKRI investment), which is leading the UK’s alternative protein knowledge and innovation ecosystem. ✅ Research Associate in Alternative Protein Processing & Characterization Deadline: 1st December 2024 https://lnkd.in/ej89iiTa ✅ Research Associate in Alternative Protein Biomanufacturing Deadline: 1st December 2024 https://lnkd.in/e-RPFzq5 #AlternativeProtein #AcademicJobs

Excited to share the newly and fantastic published research by Zidan Ma (PhD student) on #buffalowormproteins (Alphitobius diaperinus) unveiling a promising and sustainable solution to the looming #globalprotein crisis. With the world’s protein demand set to double by 2050, this study strategically positions the buffalo worm as a powerhouse alternative—rich in #highqualityproteins and #essentialaminoacids. Utilizing cutting-edge biophysical and proteomic techniques, key protein fractions were isolated and examined—#albumins, #globulins, #prolamins, and #glutelins— revealing their distinct structural and nutritional advantages. #Glutelins stood out, delivering an impressive concentration of essential amino acids and #superiordigestibility, while #prolamins exhibited exceptional #thermalresilience. Each fraction demonstrated strong and stable protein conformations, reinforcing their suitability for human consumption. Beyond #nutritionalbenefits, the study’s findings unlock potential industrial applications, paving the way for #innovative, #insectbasedprotein solutions. This research not only pushes the boundaries of food science but also confronts the challenges of sustainability head-on, showcasing the #buffaloworm as a game-changing #proteinsource for the future. A collaborative research made up of a great team: Martin Mondor (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/ Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada), Francisco M. Goycoolea (Universidad de Murcia) and Adam A. Doyle (University of York). Check out the paper below 🐛 🐜 🪳National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) Global Food and Environment Institute, University of Leeds School of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Leeds

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁! We’re thrilled to announce the successful closing of MicroLub’s £3.5m seed investment round. We are now officially “spun out” from the University of Leeds and our new life as an independent company has begun. It’s been quite an adventure already and there are going to be plenty more exciting times ahead as we start to commercialise our next-generation protein technologies for replacing fat 🍔, enhancing texture🍦, and delivering nutrients🥦. As this exciting next phase of our evolution begins, we can't wait to see how MicroLub's technologies are going to revolutionize the creation of healthier, more sustainable, and tastier food products using #AlternativeProteins. We would like to say a huge thanks to our lead investor, Northern Gritstone. The NG team, led by Andy Naylor and Thomas Kaye, has been brilliant to work with, and we’re very grateful for all their help and support over the past several months. We would also like to thank our other investors, including Praetura Ventures and LIFTT. It’s great to have you on board and we are looking forward to a very fruitful partnership. Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of everyone who has been part of our journey so far. In particular, a massive thank you to our inspirational Founder, Professor Anwesha Sarkar, EIT Food Seedbed Incubator, Miles Kirby, David Groom and the team at Deeptech Labs, and the School of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Leeds. Your guidance and encouragement have been invaluable. Finally, we would like to thank our families and friends for their patience and support throughout the past year. #Startup life isn’t always easy (in fact, it’s never easy), but you’ve been there for us when it mattered and we’re incredibly grateful. Now the real work begins! #Innovation #FatReplacement #TextureEnhancement #NutrientDelivery #DeepTech #FoodScience #SuperLubricity #FoodTech #SustainableFood #PlantBased #FutureOfFood #StartupFunding #Investment

Northern Gritstone has led a £3.5 million seed round into the food ingredients technology company MicroLub, a University of Leeds spinout founded by Anwesha Sarkar. The food tech company, led by CEO David Peters, replaces fats and oils in food with water, making it a healthier and more sustainable option for food companies and consumers. Co-investors in the seed round include Praetura Ventures and LIFTT. Thank you to Katie Prescott at The Times for covering Anwesha and David's story behind MicroLub [paywall] https://bit.ly/40dAj4N Read Northern Gritstone's full press release here https://bit.ly/48lgavB Deeptech Labs #profitwithpurpose Photo by Heather Magner

Fantastic news for MicroLub! MicroLub is a pioneering company that creates healthy, sustainable food. It is a NPAIC partner and a spinout from University of Leeds research. MicroLub has received a £3.5 million investment to scale up its ingredients technology. Read more below 👇