The European Innovation Council (EIC) has selected a project called Hydrocow for investment from a pool of over 440 proposals.
The EIC, funded by the European Commission, aims to support innovative projects, including early-stage research. Hydrocow, led by Solar Foods in Finland, aims to develop dairy protein whey without the need for cows. The project involves converting carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen into beta-lactoglobulin, a major milk protein, using a engineered microbe. This technology falls under the category of precision fermentation, which allows for the production of dairy proteins without agriculture.
The consortium behind Hydrocow includes the University of Groningen, RWTH Aachen University, and FGen, a subsidiary of Ginkgo Bioworks. The project has a budget of €5.5m and will undergo a Design-Build-Test cycle to develop the necessary metabolic model and genetic modifications. The goal is to create groundbreaking technology for the food industry.