High-quality feedstocks address sustainability challenges associated with rising global demand for protein

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RuBisCO variants increase Methionine and Lysine content. (Graphic courtesy of Sandia Licensing and Technology Transfer.)

Ryan Davis, a principal member of Sandia’s technical staff in Bioresource and Environmental Security, and his team developed a high-quality feedstock to address sustainability challenges to meet the growing global demand for protein.

RuBisCO (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase) is the photosynthetic enzyme in the green leaves of plants, the most abundant soluble protein on Earth, and a key enzyme in the global carbon cycle. The protein is easy to extract and highly digestible.

Davis and his team uncovered a process to complete many codon swaps. (Codon swaps alter the protein’s genetic code to increase the methionine (Met) and lysine (Lys) content, two high-value amino acids that make up RuBisCO.) This improves the value and quality of the protein source and produces new high-quality protein feedstocks to supplement existing agriculture.

The developed technology can be used by the plant-based protein industry without the sustainability impacts of animal protein sources.

Sandia researcher linked to work

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Associated Publications

Vuppaladadiyam A.K., Yao J.G., Florin, N., George A., Wang X., Labeeuw L., Jiang Y., Davis R.W., Abbas A., Ralph P., Fennell P.S., & Zhao M. (2017).  “Impact of flue gas compounds on microalgae and mechanisms for carbon assimilation and utilization.” ChemSusChem 11:334-355.

Wu W. & Davis R.W. (2017). “One-pot bioconversion of algae biomass into terpenes for advanced biofuels and bioproducts.” Algal Res 17:316-320.

Wu W., Tran-Gyamfi M.B., Jaryenneh J.D., & Davis R.W. (2016). “Cofactor engineering of keto-acid reductoisomerase (IlvC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (YqhD) improves the fusel alcohol yield in algal protein anaerobic fermentation.” Algal Res 19:162-167.

Davis R.W., Siccardi A.J., Huysman N.D., Wyatt N.B., & Lane T.W. (2015). “Growth of mono- and mixed cultures of Nannochloropsis salina and Phaeodactylum tricornutum on struvite as a nutrient source” Bioresrource. Technology. 198: 577-85

Davis R.W., Carvalho B.J., Jones H.D.T., & Singh S. (2014). “The role of photo-osmotic adaptation in semi-continuous culture and lipid particle release from Dunaliella viridis.” J. Appl. Phycol.

Davis R.W., George A., Lane T.W., Pate R.C., & Wu B.C. (2018). “Tandem Biochemical and Thermochemical Conversion of Algal Biomass.” US Appl. No. 14/750,960.

Hewson J.C., Davis R.W., & Lane T.W. (2015). “High-Rate Algae Culture Using Struvite as a Nutrient Source.” US Appl. No. 14/750,993.

Relevant Content

  1. Licensing RuBisCo research
  2. Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program invested in furthering the research of enhancing RuBisCO as a sustainable protein source
  3. Initial research in algae processing funded by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office

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January 23, 2023