Precision fermentation for animal-free milk, with Dr. Abigail Thiel PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four /by Laura

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This episode features Dr. Abigail (Abbey) Thiel PhD, who works remotely (from the US) with Wageningen University to manage a project focused on developing animal-free milk proteins using precision fermentation. Dr. Thiel explains that the motivation for the project is to find alternatives to animal-produced foods using microorganisms to produce key components of dairy products. Her project focuses on producing the protein casein, which is found in milk (and contributes to its structure and stability), to eventually produce a milk substitute or a protein powder that could be used as a food ingredient. A specific yeast is used to produce the casein: the scientists insert directions for making the protein into the yeast, then put it in a bioreactor to produce the protein. After that, they figure out how to purify the protein so it can be used in various applications. The final step is upscaling the process to produce abundant and cost-effective casein. The group has also started initial digestion studies to see how the purified casein is digested. Meanwhile, Dr. Thiel is passionate about food science communication and has a YouTube channel called Abbey the Food Scientist, where she strives to build awareness of food science as a career and also to address myths about food science.

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About Dr. Abigail Thiel PhD:

Abigail (Abbey) Thiel is a food scientist, educator, and project manager of research focused on producing milk proteins using yeast. She earned her PhD in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. Abbey is passionate about making the science behind food accessible to all. She runs a successful YouTube channel with over 1.4 million views, breaking down food science concepts for everyday audiences, and created an online course, Food Science for Beginners. In addition, she develops high school curriculum and educational resources to help students explore food science as a career path.