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Triton Algae Innovation is a California based biotechnology company developing and cultivating green algae as a sustainable and affordable source of alternative protein to help meet increasing domestic and global demand. The company cultivates green algae which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) which provides a platform for the production of nutritional ingredients and colostrum protein which occur naturally in breast milk of all mammals. The company aims to become a provider to supply algae as an ingredient to food manufacturers.
Triton cultivates safe, natural, and wild-type algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (c. reinhardtii), found in freshwater and soil all over the world. The algae are then dried and converted into a powdered form which retains protein, iron, amino acids, calcium, Vitamin A, and Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. The company uses advanced proprietary synthetic biological tools for the safe expression of milk and meat protein without any genetic engineering. The company has set up a large scale production line to fulfill the growing trend of the sustainable food industry.
Triton also developed Osteopontin (OPN) with c reinhardtii with collaboration with Dr. Bo Lonnerdal, a milk protein researcher at U.C. Davis. The protein is one of many colostrum protein.which is found naturally in every mammal's mother’s milk.This protein allows infant formula manufacturers to make their products closer to the nutritional makeup of human breastmilk.
Triton has identified strains of the algae which are capable of growing in green and yellow colors after the fermentation process. The powdered form is intended to be used as an ingredient for foods and beverages like nutritional bars, infant formula, yogurts, juices and energy drinks.
Nick Hofmeister, Beth Rasala, Daniel Sachs, Jason Pyle, Miller Tran, Stephen Mayfield, and William Julien founded the company in 2013.