Full utilization of brewers' spent grain - Extraction of proteins and production of mycoproteins using emerging technologies

• Grant number: 25/07851-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Cassia Roberta Malacrida Mayer
• Grantee: Felipe Pires Ribeiro
• Supervisor: Sungil Ferreira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Arkansas, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/11039-0 - Full utilization of brewers' spent grain - Extraction of proteins and production of mycoproteins using emerging technologies, BP.MS

Abstract

The generation of waste in the food industry represents a significant environmental challenge, but also an opportunity for sustainable practices based on the valorization of by-products. Brewers' spent grain (BSG), the main solid residue from the brewing industry, is produced on a large scale and is rich in fiber and protein. Despite its nutritional and functional potential, it remains underutilized, being mostly used as animal feed or discarded. This project proposes an integrated and innovative approach for the full utilization of BSG, in line with the principles of bioeconomy and circular economy. During the master's scholarship in Brazil, protein extraction from BSG is being carried out through ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis. As a complementary and innovative step, the research internship abroad (BEPE) will focus on the production of mycoproteins from the fibrous residue generated after enzymatic extraction. For this purpose, the residue will undergo physical, chemical, and enzymatic pretreatments to increase the availability of fermentable sugars, followed by aerobic fermentation in bioreactors using Neurospora crassa, to produce mycoprotein, a widely recognized for its ability to produce highly digestible proteins with high nutritional value. The fungal biomass will be kinetically monitored and modeled, and mycoproteins will be recovered by isoelectric precipitation. An alkaline extraction assisted by fiber-degrading enzymes will also be performed, allowing a complementary comparison between protein extraction methods. This proposal aims to generate alternative and sustainable sources of plant and fungal proteins with potential applications in the food industry and contribute to reducing the environmental impact of agro-industrial waste. (AU)