THE U.S. BEER INDUSTRY PRODUCES MILLIONS OF TONS OF A NUTRIENT-RICH BYPRODUCT CALLED BREWER'S SPENT GRAIN (BSG) EACH YEAR. WHILE BSG CONTAINS HIGH LEVELS OF VALUABLE PROTEINS, IT IS OFTEN USED AS LOW-VALUE ANIMAL FEED OR DISCARDED IN LANDFILLS, CONTRIBUTING TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE NEED TO RECOVER THOSE PROTEINS IN A COST-EFFECTIVE, SUSTAINABLE WAY--TURNING A WASTE PROBLEM INTO AN ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITY. RECOVERING PROTEINS FROM BSG CAN SUPPORT A CIRCULAR ECONOMY BY REDUCING FOOD WASTE, CUTTING DOWN LANDFILL USE, AND CREATING NEW SOURCES OF PLANT-BASED PROTEINS THAT BENEFIT THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE INDUSTRIES.TO DO THIS, THE PD AND CO-PDS WILL DEVELOP AND TEST NEW ENZYME-LIKE MATERIALS, CALLED ARTIFICIAL PROTEASES, THAT CAN EFFICIENTLY BREAK DOWN AND EXTRACT PROTEINS FROM BSG. THESE ARTIFICIAL PROTEASES ARE MADE FROM METAL-ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS, WHICH ARE HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE AND MORE STABLE THAN NATURAL ENZYMES. WE WILL CREATE AND EVALUATE THESE MATERIALS IN THE LAB TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE BOTH EFFECTIVE AND SAFE. NEXT, WE WILL BUILD A PROCESS TO EXTRACT AND PURIFY PROTEINS FROM BSG USING THESE ARTIFICIAL ENZYMES. FINALLY, WE WILL ANALYZE HOW PRACTICAL AND AFFORDABLE IT WOULD BE TO APPLY THIS PROCESS AT AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS PROJECT WILL TURN A MAJOR FOOD INDUSTRY BYPRODUCT INTO A VALUABLE RESOURCE, CREATING ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR BREWERS AND FOOD PRODUCERS, REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL HARM, AND OFFERING NEW PROTEIN SOURCES TO MEET GROWING DEMAND. IN THE LONG TERM, THIS WORK COULD LEAD TO BROADER USES OF ARTIFICIAL ENZYMES FOR FOOD SAFETY AND WASTE REDUCTION ACROSS MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES.