From Pond to Plate: Tailored Functional Proteins for Next-Gen Microalgal Food

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biotechnology
• Sustainable Agriculture

Background:

• Global food security is threatened by climate change, disease, and rising protein demand.
• Microalgae are a sustainable alternative protein source with rapid growth and high nutritional value.
• Current industrial-scale microalgal protein production faces economic and technical limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review microalgal protein research across the entire production chain.
• To identify knowledge gaps and evaluate the socio-economic potential of microalgal proteins.
• To highlight limitations in current sustainability assessments and propose future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of microalgal protein research.
• Analysis of strain selection, cultivation, harvesting, and extraction processes.
• Evaluation of food applications, techno-economic feasibility, and sustainability.

Main Results:

• Microalgal protein isolates are underexplored in food applications, with most using whole biomass.
• Downstream processing for high-purity protein products is a significant economic bottleneck.
• Microalgae show potential as a complementary, resource-efficient protein, but not a sole solution.

Conclusions:

• Realizing the potential of microalgal proteins requires interdisciplinary research and improved techno-economic analyses.
• Supportive regulatory frameworks and targeted investment are crucial for industrial implementation.
• Microalgae can contribute to a more resilient and climate-friendly food system.