PoLoPo Unveils SuperAA Platform: a Protein Biofactory in a Potato
The first step toward manufacturing proteins in common plant crops is the SuperAA platform, which was recently announced by PoLoPo, a pioneer in molecular farming. Using patented metabolic engineering methods, the platform is currently being used in greenhouse-grown potatoes to produce the native protein patatin as well as the egg protein ovalbumin.
The potato plant is transformed into a micro-biofactory by the state-of-the-art SuperAA platform, which produces the target amino acids in the plant and stores them in the tuber. When tubers grow to a suitable size, they are collected, and their proteins are separated and powdered. The final powders will combine easily with the existing food processing lines and recipes.
Potatoes were the first crop chosen for PoLoPo because of their adaptability to a wide range of temperatures, low cost of growth, quick maturation, relatively big tuber storage capacity, high output per acre, and compatibility with current harvesting and processing technologies. In terms of PoLoPo’s business strategy, the potato provides industrial and existing farmers with a stable and affordable route to expand their molecular farming system while also providing efficiency, sustainability, and a lucrative economic potential.
“The SuperAA platform uses plants as living factories and leverages their natural productivity and storage organs to grow proteins that are identical to protein derived from a chicken’s egg. The high-scale production of proteins in plants via molecular farming has the potential to economically transform not only potato farming and processing but broader agriculture and ag-tech, for a more resilient and sustainable food system,” PoLoPo CEO, Maya Sapir-Mir, PhD, mentioned.
Increased ovalbumin and patatin are now being developed using the SuperAA platform. Ovalbumin’s functional qualities, such as texture and stability, as well as its capacity to improve nutritional content and lengthen shelf life, make it a popular ingredient in packaged meals. PoLoPo’s ovalbumin provides a cost-effective substitute for a sector beleaguered by rising egg costs, unstable supply chains, and outbreaks of avian flu. Because of growing consumer preference, the ovalbumin-powder industry is projected to reach USD36bn globally by 2032.
In a wide range of products, including plant-based meat and dairy, baked goods, cereals, snacks, beverages, sports nutrition, and nutraceuticals, patatin powder can be utilized as an allergen-free protein. Additionally, a high-protein potato can enhance food security in areas where malnutrition is a problem.
Sapir-Mir and Raya Liberman-Aloni, Ph.D., PoLoPo’s CTO, co-founded the organization. After completing their post-doctoral study at Israel’s top agricultural research institution, the Volcani Institute, and their Ph.D. studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, both worked for more than ten years in the biotech industry and agricultural R&D. PoLoPo successfully raised a USD2.3m pre-seed round in 2023 from top food-tech investors, allowing it to quickly expand its pipeline beyond potatoes to proteins. The business has received numerous innovation awards and distinctions, such as the MassChallenge Israel Better Plate Track, the Coller firm Competition for Tel Aviv University students and graduates, and the firm with the biggest impact potential at FoodHack’s Demo Day.
