**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WHEN TEA IS PREPARED THE TEA LEAVES ARE SUBMERGED IN WATER TO EXTRACT SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS FROM THE PLANT. THE WATER-SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS ARE TAKEN UP BY THE WATER AND THE INSOLUBLE PARTS REMAIN IN THE TEA FILTER. SIMILAR PROCESSES HAPPEN DURING THE EXTRACTION OF PROTEINS FROM SEEDS BUT INSTEAD OF USING THE WATER-SOLUBLE PROTEINS, THE INSOLUBLE PROTEINS ARE USED BECAUSE THEY TAKE THE MAJOR SHARE. THE SOLUBLE PROTEIN PARTS ARE EITHER TREATED TO ALSO END UP AS AN INSOLUBLE PART OR ARE DISCARDED. BOTH OPTIONS ARE EQUALLY UNFAVORABLE.WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE MARKET VOLUME OF PLANT-BASED FOOD ALTERNATIVES (FOR EXAMPLE PLANT-BASED MEATS) IN THE COMING YEARS, THESE SOLUBLE PROTEINS HAVE A GREAT POTENTIAL TO BE USED AS A FOOD INGREDIENT. WE TERM THESE PROTEINS 'PLANT WHEY', FOLLOWING THE TERMINATION FOUND IN DAIRY PROCESSING. AT THE MOMENT THIS PROTEIN-RICH SOURCE IS NOT EXPLOITED BECAUSE IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE IS MISSING TO PRODUCE TASTY AND NUTRITIOUS FOODS FROM SUCH PROTEINS. FOR THIS REASON, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ESTABLISH PLANT-WHEY AS A FOOD INGREDIENT TO FULLY UTILIZE THE PROTEINS IN PLANT SEEDS TO MAXIMIZE THE OUTPUT AND MINIMIZE FOOD LOSS DURING FOOD PRODUCTION.TO ACHIEVE THIS, A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH OF THE PROTEINS TYPICALLY REMAIN IN THE PROTEIN-RICH LIQUID DURING PROTEIN EXTRACTION PROCESSES IS NECESSARY AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROPERTIES OF THESE PROTEINS TO KNOW HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THEM IN FOODS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHETHER THESE PROTEINS FORM GELLED STRUCTURED (SIMILAR TO YOGURT) AND UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS THEY DO THIS. WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHETHER THESE PROTEINS ARE ACTUALLY DIGESTIBLE AND IF NOT WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE THEIR NUTRITIVE PROPERTIES. THIS WILL HELP US TO MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE AND MAKE FULL USE OF THE PROTEINS FOUND IN PLANT SEEDS FOR HUMAN NUTRITION.