Irish University Bags $3.5M in Govt Funding to Turn Grass Into Protein
Munster Technological University (MTU) secured $3.5 million from Ireland’s Department of Agriculture to launch the Grass4Value project, a biorefinery initiative that converts grass and legumes into high‑value protein. The effort partners with University College Dublin, the University of Galway and Teagasc, and leverages new pilot facilities in Kerry, Cork and Tipperary. Researchers will develop protein concentrates for animal feed and human food, while integrating precision fermentation and anaerobic digestion to create circular energy streams. The funding is part of a broader $40.9 million national push into agrifood bioeconomy research.
AgriFood Signals: More Microsoft Carbon Deals, a $200m Greenhouse in Mexico, Rubber From Dandelions
Microsoft announced its first major carbon‑removal purchase since pausing, marking a renewed corporate climate push. Dutch investors are committing $200 million to build a large greenhouse complex in northern Mexico to boost year‑round vegetable production. European agri‑tech firms secured sizable financing:...
Chinese and Dutch Scientists Turn Corn to Sustainable Plastic, Inspired by Spider Silk
Scientists from China and the Netherlands have developed a corn‑protein biopolymer, dubbed “plantymer,” using a spider‑silk‑inspired processing technique. The material, derived from the protein zein, achieves silk‑like rigidity and effective moisture and oxygen barriers while degrading up to 80 % within...