AI-powered protein discovery firm Shiru and GreenLab, a company focused on plant-based protein expression, have entered a strategic partnership to market novel food proteins.
The collaboration leverages GreenLab’s corn expression system, enhancing Shiru’s AI-driven protein discovery with a scalable manufacturing platform.
The partnership aims to bring sustainable ingredients to market, focusing initially on consumer-packaged goods (CPG).
It will address the growing demand for functional, high-value proteins by combining Shiru’s AI technology with GreenLab’s corn-based expression platform.
The synergy creates a new production model for sustainable bio-industrial ingredients, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution.
Shiru founder and CEO Jasmin Hume said: “This partnership brings together some of the best natural protein compounds with a highly productive agricultural production platform to manufacture proteins that are not only sustainable but also scalable and commercially viable.
“While we continue to leverage precision fermentation in our screening efforts at Shiru, we’ve always acknowledged that scaling our ingredients can be done via microbes or crops.
“By integrating GreenLab’s corn expression platform with our AI-driven ingredient discovery, we’re unlocking an entirely new way to produce high-performance food proteins that nourish billions without exhausting the planet’s resources.”
The partnership offers several benefits, including faster ingredient innovation through Shiru’s AI, efficient production with GreenLab’s corn system, and reduced costs with higher yields.
The corn-based approach allows large-scale protein production with minimal infrastructure investment, integrating seamlessly into existing supply chains and reducing waste.
Also, collaboration enables different food applications, from novel sweeteners to clean-label additives, expanding possibilities for CPG manufacturers focused on natural and sustainable products.
The approach reduces environmental impact by using plants as biofactories, ensuring a reliable protein supply.
Both companies aim to optimise protein expression in GreenLab’s corn system for Shiru’s functional proteins, scaling production to meet commercial demand.
The two companies will work closely with food and beverage partners to accelerate the adoption and market introduction of these innovative proteins.
GreenLab president and CSO Maurice Moloney said: “We’re fundamentally changing how the industry approaches protein production.
“Corn is a powerful and efficient system for expressing proteins, and by working with Shiru, we’re taking the next step in creating truly scalable, commercially viable, and sustainable ingredients for CPG companies worldwide.”
