Synthesizing High-Tech Food is TOUGH, featuring Kate Krueger of Helikon

Tough Tech Today with Meyen and Miller

In one sentence: “Synthesizing” and “food” are uncommon word pairings, but the engineered dishes they serve may be an appetizing feast for the senses.

Overview:
Climate change, a growing global population, and maturation of new biotechnologies are driving the motivation for – and means of – producing more food. Engineering is improving traditional agricultural means for food production, yet, in our conversation with Kate Krueger of Helikon, emerging synthesization techniques are bringing food from the lab to the market, with exciting and healthy results.
Topic Timecodes:
00:59 What is "high-tech food"

01:57 "Cheese doodle" tech

04:06 Recombinant protein technology

06:17 Relationship between recombinant protein technology and climate change

08:07 Growth factors & proteins

11:58 Veracity of claims of cosmetic benefits due to wheat-grown proteins

12:38 Analogy to stem cells

13:04 Economic challenge of growing growth factors

14:42 Summary of mechanism for generating proteins genetically

16:50 Is eating meat bad for the environment?

19:01 Wildtype and genetically-engineered salmon

19:41 Taste of lab-grown meat & "fat tech"

21:02 Politics around meat-eating & environmental sustainability concerns

23:00 Potential for lab-grown meat

25:28 More funding for startups than universities & Kate's cross-silo experience in cell ag space

28:39 Helikon Consulting

32:01 Potential harms for "high-tech food" & regulation by FDA/USDA

34:43 Long-term effects on human microbiome due to consumption of lab-grown meat as opposed to more "biodiverse", from-the-wild foods

36:50 Red tomatoes & ethylene gas

38:45 Kid Kate & why biology/chemistry as concentration

40:01 Why consulting for Kate now?

41:10 Balancing industry and academic perspectives

45:40 Rapid-fire questions for Kate

47:45 Kate asks us rapid-fire questions

51:44 Kate's advice to audience

Show Notes:

• Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://www.toughtechtoday.com/synthesizing-food/
• Kate Kruger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktkrueger
• Helikon (company): https://www.helikon.xyz
• Watch this show on Youtube: https://youtu.be/W55ZojPWblc

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Chapters

1. Synthesizing High-Tech Food is TOUGH, featuring Kate Krueger of Helikon (00:00:00)

2. What is "high-tech food" (00:00:59)

3. "Cheese doodle" tech (00:01:57)

4. "Cheese doodle" tech (00:04:06)

5. Relationship between recombinant protein technology and climate change (00:06:17)

6. Relationship between recombinant protein technology and climate change (00:08:07)

7. Veracity of claims of cosmetic benefits due to wheat-grown proteins (00:11:58)

8. Analogy to stem cells (00:12:38)

9. Economic challenge of growing growth factors (00:13:04)

10. Summary of mechanism for generating proteins genetically (00:14:42)

11. Is eating meat bad for the environment? (00:16:50)

12. Wildtype and genetically-engineered salmon (00:19:01)

13. Taste of lab-grown meat & "fat tech" (00:19:41)

14. Politics around meat-eating & environmental sustainability concerns (00:21:02)

15. Potential for lab-grown meat (00:23:00)

16. More funding for startups than universities & Kate's cross-silo experience in cell ag space (00:25:28)

17. Helikon Consulting (00:28:39)

18. Potential harms for "high-tech food" & regulation by FDA/USDA (00:32:01)

19. Long-term effects on human microbiome due to consumption of lab-grown meat as opposed to more "biodiverse", from-the-wild foods (00:34:43)

20. Red tomatoes and ethylene gas (00:36:50)

21. Kid Kate & why biology-chemistry as concentration (00:38:45)

22. Why consulting for Kate now? (00:40:01)

23. Balancing industry and academic perspectives (00:41:10)

24. Balancing industry and academic perspectives (00:45:40)

25. Kate asks us rapid-fire questions (00:47:45)

26. Kate's advice to audience (00:51:44)