The Single-Cell Center presented its latest work on sustainable protein innovation at 2026 The 2nd International Symposium on Yeast Protein Science and Technology, held in Yichang, Hubei Province. During the meeting, Dr. Tom Cohen Ben-Aryeof the Single-Cell Center gave a report titled“Breeding Meat-Like Yeast Strains for Sustainable Protein Production.”

As global food systems face mounting pressure from climate change, resource constraints, food safety concerns and the environmental footprint of conventional meat production, sustainable protein has emerged as a major frontier in food biotechnology. In his presentation, Dr. Cohen Ben-Arye outlined the strategic importance of alternative proteins in supporting food security and carbon-reduction goals.

He further introduced how the Single-Cell Center is applying its advanced Raman flow analysis and sorting capabilities to breed high-performance yeast chassis tailored for meat alternative applications. Using the High-throughput Raman-activated Flow Cytometer (FlowRACS), researchers can rapidly profile and sort live yeast cells according to biochemical phenotypes at single-cell resolution, helping identify strains with improved flavor, texture and other functional properties relevant to meat analog development.

The talk also introduced the in-situ Metabolic Atlas Projects at Single-cell (iMAPS), an international scientific initiative jointly launched by the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology and collaborating partners. Built on the institute’s original metaramanomics instrument portfolio, iMAPS aims to decode key microbiome questions at single-cell resolution, including who is active, what they are doing in situ, when, where, why, and how microbial resources can be mobilized for application.

Dr. Cohen Ben-Arye highlighted two representative outcomes enabled by the platform: a study that compressed DHA-producer screening from months to days, and another that identified a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant with 40.26% lipid content and clarified its lipid accumulation mechanism.

The symposium gathered more than 350 researchers and industry leaders. The event also featured keynote talks by prominent academicians, the release of a yeast protein white paper, and new strategic partnerships aimed at expanding yeast protein applications in precision nutrition and specialized medical foods.