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FAQ: The Food Protein R&D Center

Who is the Food Protein R&D Center?
 The Food Protein R&D Center is part of the Texas A&M University System through the Texas Engineering Experiment Station and managed as a center within the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering. Established in 1939, they work for industry providing R&D in the development of their products. Additionally, the FPRDC has successfully trained thousands of short course attendees from across the world with practical instruction since 1981.

Do you only work with protein derived from food?
No, not at all. In fact, our name only scratches the surface of our capabilities. We are the only facility in the world with comprehensive equipment and technical capabilities to take a raw material (i.e., oilseed, fungal material, citrus), dehull/flake/peel the material, perform physical separation or diverse solvent/buffer extraction, fully refine the crude oil, extract bioactives or create new lipids, concentrate and isolate proteins, separate based on molecular weight/chemical properties, extrude into meat analogs/snacks/feeds, AND create new biologically, nutritionally, and pharmaceutically unique ingredients and products. Additional capabilities include water and wastewater separation and treatment, desalination, solvent recovery, solvent dehydration, decontamination, and detoxification.

Who works with the FPRDC?
Our training and services are geared primarily toward support of the private sector, although we perform basic R&D on Texas crops through the Texas Food and Fiber Commission. We also engage the federal research-oriented agencies through competitive grants. Our clients are diverse; we contract with agricultural biotech firms, large food and feed companies, chemical companies, and small entrepreneurial ventures. We also collaborate contractually with land grant universities (i.e., Texas A&M University), state and federal research laboratories, large research medical schools, and small colleges in North America and abroad. In addition, our Ph.D. program heads co-chair graduate committees, direct research efforts, and conduct projects with masters/doctoral students.

What facilities and equipment are available at the FPRDC?
We conduct training and processing in nearly 60,000 sq ft. of pilot plant, laboratory, administrative and teaching space in six buildings on two Texas A&M University campuses in College Station , Texas . Our equipment manufacturers and engineering partners provide the center with pilot and commercial scale equipment and further support the FPRDC through instruction at our Practical Short Courses. Additionally, many equipment partners travel to College Station , TX to assist "side-by-side" in large, pilot-scale processing projects and innovation development. A comprehensive listing and photo links of most equipment is available in the "Resources" section of the website at foodprotein.tamu.edu

What are the expertise subjects at the FPRDC?
Our researchers and technical staff are diverse in both theoretical and hands-on expertise, but are generally divided into five technical areas 1) Extraction Technologies, 2) Fats and Oils, 3) Separation Sciences, 4) Extrusion Technology, and 5) Protein Sciences. Additionally, projects utilizing most of these technical areas can be performed under GLP, a unit which primarily supports EPA and FDA registration of new crop varieties, including pesticide, herbicide, and pest resistant lines of oilseeds, grains, and fruits/vegetables. By spring 2005, all pilot scale processing projects will be performed under GMP.

How do I work with the FPRDC?
Process development projects, pilot scale processing, 'toll' processing, equipment or process validation, and customized training are accomplished contractually through a Research Services Agreement, with the tasks written jointly with the FPRDC program head and approved by the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. We can quickly provide a template agreement that addresses terms and conditions, intellectual property, deliverables, etc. that, when executed, allows us to begin the project.

What short courses are available and how are they different than other courses, seminars, and symposia?
We conduct 10-12 practical short courses every year here at our facilities and on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station , TX . You may download detailed information about each of our short courses at http://foodprotein.tamu.edu, including pricing, dates, registration information, hotels, maps, and air travel (through American Airlines or Continental Airlines). Our courses are 'hands on"; that is, we conduct equipment demonstrations in concert with each day's lectures to facilitate the learning experience and allow for 'one-on-one' interaction with industry's top technical staff. Many private sector courses claim to be practical and some have even copied our exact title - and we are flattered. But there is nothing practical about a series of rushed speakers, crammed into yet another hotel conference room with no equipment demonstrations or practical instruction. Come to one of our short courses on the campus of Texas A&M University and see how we have successfully trained over 9,000 attendees from across the world within the first 25 years of hosting the short course series.  Seating is limited to maximize the learning experience, so early registration is highly recommended.

What does the FPRDC not do?
We do not do nutritional labeling, standard chemical analysis, packaging, flavor/taste panel development, or market evaluation. However, we can assist in locating those resources in conjunction with a project performed under a Research Services Agreement with the FPRDC. Additionally, we do not measure biological endpoints - like nutritional, pharmaceutical or toxicological response - with the processes and subsequent products that we develop. Therefore, we are always looking for capable R&D partners (universities, small SBIR/STTR companies, state and federal R&D laboratories) who would like to partner with us in technology development or basic research through state and federal grant applications.