**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ?THE US CONSUMER DEMAND FOR PLANT-BASED MEAT ANALOGS IS INCREASING RAPIDLY. EVEN THOUGH SOME SELECT PLANT PROTEINS HAVE SHOWN PROMISE IN IMITATING THE TEXTURES OF SELECT MEAT ANALOG PRODUCTS, MOST CURRENT PLANT-BASED MEAT ANALOGS ARE STILL FAR AWAY FROM IMITATING TEXTURES OF VARIOUS ANIMAL-BASED MEATS. THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE GAPS IN UNDERSTANDING THE TEXTURIZING PROCESS IN EXTRUSION AND THE IMPACTS OF THE PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND QUALITY ON TEXTURIZATION. IT IS CRITICAL TO ADDRESS THIS GAP TO MEET THE NEEDS OF US CONSUMERS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECT PROTEINS THAT PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DESIRED TEXTURE DURING EXTRUSION PROCESSING. THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING GENERATED FROM THIS PROJECT CAN BE APPLIED TO A BROAD RANGE OF PLANT PROTEIN SOURCES. THIS INFORMATION CAN ASSIST THE BROADER FOOD INDUSTRY TAILOR THE PRODUCTS TO HAVE SPECIFIC TEXTURES THE CONSUMERS DESIRE IN THE PLANT-BASEDMEAT ANALOG, ALONG WITH THE PROTEIN NUTRITION.