Selecting food ingredients from vector representations of individual proteins using cluster analysis and precision fermentation

This disclosure provides a technology for developing alternative protein sources for use in industrial food production. The technology evaluates naturally occurring proteins by a process that is done partly in silico and partly by empirical evaluation. A database is created in which each individual protein is characterized by vector representations of structural and functional features. Clusters of individual proteins are formed by pairwise comparison of each protein's vector representation, adjusting the degree of similarity used to define clusters until a desired number of clusters are obtained. A protein representative is selected from each cluster for evaluation by high-throughput expression and laboratory testing for a particular food function. High scoring representatives identify clusters that can be mined for additional protein candidates. Multiple cycles of the machine learning, database mining, expression and testing yield ingredients suitable for assessment as part of a commercial food product.