Acadia research supports entrepreneur with sustainable protein powder company
From the Springboard Content Lab and Rachel Cooper
An Annapolis Valley entrepreneur has teamed up with biologists at Springboard member Acadia University in a research collaboration that is producing a clean, sustainable protein powder that cold soon be available in local grocery stores.
Mycaro is an upcycled protein powder made by fermenting agricultural by-products. The fermentation produces mycelium, which is then processed into a protein powder. This allows consumers to enjoy versatile, sustainable protein, which has a neutral taste and desirable texture.
Entrepreneur Katie McNeill came up with the idea of making protein powder from agricultural waste through her experience selling agricultural produce to large-scale grocery retailers.
“I came to the project through the lens of agri-food waste that we generate here in the Annapolis Valley. What can we do with it? What kind of value-added products can we make? I discovered that certain types of agri-food waste lend themselves really well to growing high-protein mushrooms.”
Entrepreneur Katie McNeill, founder of Mycaro
Acadia biologist conducts research behind Mycaro protein powder
Acadia biology professor and mycologist Dr. Allison Walker is leading the research into the protein’s commercial viability. Dr. Walker and her team are growing high-protein mushroom roots, known as mycelium, on food waste generated during agricultural processing.
The Acadia process is yielding 40 per cent protein in the mycelium – very high by industry standards.
“We are making a zero-waste process, taking something that would otherwise be thrown away and adding value to it by increasing the protein content. A big part of the initial research was trying to optimize the protein content and figure out the best way to do this process.”
Dr. Allison Walker, Acadia biologist
Springboard helped entrepreneur
McNeill was referred to Springboard IEP, Leigh Huestis of Acadia’s Office of Industry and Community Engagement , after a successful pitch to Spark Nova Scotia had enabled her to work with a Prince Edward Island lab to produce initial data.
“I showed up at Acadia with an idea, some literature, and a little bit of data and explained what I wanted to do, and Leigh was quick to connect me with the right people,” McNeill says. “We were able to start working with Allison Walker right away once the funding was in place.”
“Through Acadia, we’ve achieved our proof of concept. We know that what we want to do will work technically, and we know we want to take this mycelium and process it into a protein powder.”
Mycaro to have first phase of commercial production
By early summer, McNeill hopes to be in the first phase of commercial production, ideally in a facility in the Annapolis Valley, where the food waste is generated. The aim is to have a food-grade product for pilot customers.
“Allison Walker has been extremely supportive. She and her colleagues have technical expertise but also the flexibility to work through an idea collaboratively. For an early-stage company that doesn’t have deep pockets, an educational institution like Acadia is great to point you in the right direction, help you to make sure the grant applications are correct, and know how to execute the project through the grants.”
– Katie McNeill, Mycaro founder
Plant research at Acadia’s K.C. Irving Science Centre
The research is taking place in the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre’s growth facilities for plants and fungi.
“The Mycaro Research Project through Dr. Allison Walker’s lab has been a wonderful addition to the research happening here,” says Sarah Hines, Research Manager & Irving Scholar Coordinator at the Centre.
“We are home to many multidisciplinary research projects, all connected to environmental sustainability. We are pleased to be able to offer state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to teams working on important topics to improve the quality of human life and the environment.”
Mycaro will seek investors to scale and test product
McNeill will soon be looking for investors to help her company make this product on a larger scale and test it with consumers. When she finds a larger-capacity space, Acadia may help to train employees there and provide expertise at the start, Dr. Walker says.
“Acadia has a wonderfully supportive industry engagement office,” Dr. Walker says. “We’ve had lots of successful partnerships. All kinds of exciting things are happening, and we have state-of-the-art facilities and expertise. I really enjoy working with Katie McNeill to help her launch her idea.”
“Acadia has been essential to getting us to this point,” McNeill says. “Acadia’s expertise, research facilities, and openness to taking on new projects – and their industry outreach – made it possible to turn an idea into reality.”
Acadia University is a member of the Springboard Network of 19 post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada. Our mission is to grow the economy through industry collaborations and research commercialization.