The Future of Protein Production

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Arrival airports

Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Alternative proteins

Proteins produced from plants, fungi, algae or animal cells rather than conventional livestock farming. At Future of Protein Production Chicago the term covers plant-based ingredients, fermentation-derived proteins and cultivated meat.

2

Precision fermentation

A process in which engineered microorganisms such as yeast or bacteria produce specific proteins or functional ingredients in closed bioreactors. It is used for egg white, dairy proteins, heme proteins and enzymes in alternative-protein formulation.

3

Biomass fermentation

Fermentation where the microbial biomass itself becomes the protein-rich food ingredient, rather than a secreted target molecule. Examples include mycoprotein and some algal proteins discussed in scale-up and formulation sessions.

4

Cultivated meat

Meat produced by growing animal cells in culture outside the animal. The Chicago programme covers cell lines, media, scaffolds, bioreactor design and US regulatory pathways for cell-cultured meat and seafood.

5

Cellular agriculture

The broader field of producing animal-derived products such as meat, dairy, collagen or fats through cell culture or fermentation rather than conventional animal husbandry.

6

Plant-based protein

Protein ingredients derived from crops such as soy, pea, chickpea, lentil, wheat and potato. Conference content focuses on protein isolation, flavour masking, digestibility and cost per kilogram at commercial scale.

7

Hybrid protein products

Foods that combine plant proteins with fermentation-derived or cultivated animal proteins to improve taste, texture and cost. Hybrid formats are a practical route to market for companies blending ingredient technologies.

8

Bioreactor

A controlled vessel used to grow cells or microorganisms for protein production. Sessions at the Chicago event address stirred-tank and airlift designs, oxygen transfer, heat removal, cleaning validation and scale-up from litres to cubic metres.

9

Cell culture media

The nutrient mix of amino acids, vitamins, salts, sugars and growth factors used to grow animal cells. Media cost and serum-free formulations are central to the economics of cultivated meat.

10

Serum-free media

Cell culture media formulated without fetal bovine serum. Reducing or eliminating serum is a key cost and ethical milestone for cultivated meat producers presenting at alternative-protein conferences.

11

Scaffold

A three-dimensional structure that supports cell attachment and tissue formation in cultivated meat. Materials range from edible plant fibres and hydrogels to synthetic polymers and decellularised tissue.

12

Upstream processing

The stages before purification: inoculum preparation, media preparation, fermentation or cell culture, and harvest. Upstream design choices drive titre, yield and capital cost for fermentation-derived proteins.

13

Downstream processing

Separation and purification steps after fermentation or cell culture, including centrifugation, filtration, chromatography and drying. Downstream costs often dominate the unit economics of precision-fermented proteins.

14

High-moisture extrusion

A cooking and texturisation process that aligns plant proteins into fibrous, meat-like structures. It is a core technology for plant-based whole cuts and is discussed alongside low-moisture extrusion for nuggets and mince.

15

Texturisation

Any process that gives protein ingredients a desired chew, fibre or bite, including extrusion, shear-cell processing, spinning and 3D printing. Texture remains a major barrier to consumer repeat purchase in plant-based categories.

16

Techno-economic analysis

A modelling method that estimates capital and operating costs, yield and price per kilogram for a production process. TEA is used by investors and scale-up teams to compare fermentation and cultivated-meat routes.

17

Life cycle assessment

A structured method for quantifying environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, water use and land use across a product's supply chain. LCA claims for alternative proteins are scrutinised by retailers and regulators.

18

GRAS

Generally Recognised As Safe, a US regulatory status for food substances. Precision-fermentation companies often pursue GRAS conclusions or FDA food-additive petitions before US commercial launch.

19

Novel food

A food or ingredient without a significant history of consumption in a jurisdiction, requiring pre-market safety assessment. The term is used in EU and other markets, while the US relies on GRAS and food-additive pathways.

20

Contract manufacturing organisation

A third-party manufacturer that produces ingredients or finished products for another company. CMOs are important for alternative-protein startups that need commercial volumes without building their own plants.

21

Off-take agreement

A contract in which a buyer commits to purchase future production, often used to de-risk scale-up financing. Food majors and ingredient distributors use off-take deals with fermentation and cultivated-meat producers.

22

Scale-up

The engineering work of moving a process from laboratory or pilot scale to demonstration and commercial volume while maintaining yield, quality and food-safety standards. Scale-up economics are a recurring theme at the Chicago conference.

23

Mycoprotein

Protein derived from filamentous fungi grown in fermentation. It is used in meat-free products and is discussed alongside other fermentation-derived ingredients in biomass fermentation sessions.

24

Microalgae protein

Protein from cultivated algae such as chlorella or spirulina, or from heterotrophic algae grown in fermenters. Applications range from supplements and beverages to alternative seafood and meat analogues.