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Por Agroempresario.com
As interest in appetite regulation and weight management surges, Shiru—a cutting-edge biotechnology startup—is launching the GLP-1 Innovation Alliance, a strategic industry initiative inviting global food brands to use its AI-powered platform to identify natural proteins and peptides that activate GLP-1 receptors. These receptors are critical to appetite suppression and metabolic control, making them one of the hottest targets in both the pharmaceutical and food tech worlds.
“In pharma, the GLP-1 space is very crowded,” explains Dr. Jasmin Hume, founder and CEO of Shiru. “But most of the molecules there are synthetic. In food, no one is really tackling this with a strategic lens.” That’s the white space Shiru wants to fill—by using artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology not to replicate drugs, but to find natural food-based alternatives that support satiety and healthy weight management.
Shiru’s platform allows users—ranging from Fortune 500 CPG companies to startup brands—to search a database of millions of proteins based on structure, function, and feasibility for precision fermentation. “You don’t need to build an in-house team of molecular biologists or AI engineers,” says Hume. “You just need to know what your ingredient needs to do.”
At the core of this initiative is a function-first model. Instead of reverse-engineering what a discovered ingredient might do, Shiru starts with the intended outcome—such as GLP-1 receptor binding—and uses AI to identify proteins that may have that effect. These proteins are then evaluated for performance and feasibility in food systems.
Using machine learning models trained on large proteomic datasets, Shiru can predict which proteins might mimic the activity of known satiety hormones like GLP-1, PYY, or amylin. These models also assess how efficiently each protein can be produced through microbial fermentation, a key factor in cost-effective, scalable production.
According to Hume, “We’re targeting specific protein-receptor interactions. And we’re expanding the focus beyond GLP-1 to include a broader set of appetite-regulating pathways well-studied in scientific literature.”
With pharmaceuticals like Ozempic making headlines for weight loss, a natural equivalent in the food and supplement space could be transformative. But, says Hume, “This is still a very open field. We’re just starting to uncover what’s possible with natural molecules.” Unlike synthetic drugs, proteins found in nature can offer more consumer-friendly, regulatory-compliant options for food and wellness applications.
One challenge: hormones like GLP-1 don’t linger in the body. They degrade quickly, meaning that multi-ingredient combinations or sustained-release formats may be necessary to maintain effectiveness. “You’ll likely see stacked solutions,” she adds, “but the opportunity is immense.”
Shiru has seen a growing number of requests related to natural appetite regulation, and the company is introducing a new business model to democratize access. The GLP-1 Innovation Alliance offers three tiers of engagement:
“We’ve created flexible subscription models,” says Hume, “so that both established and emerging companies can participate meaningfully.”
The deadline to join as a founding member is August 15, with the next opportunity expected in summer 2026.
The ultimate goal of the alliance is to turn advanced protein discovery into real-world food, beverage, and supplement applications. Because the platform can identify proteins that are not only effective but also stable, scalable, and sensory-neutral, brands can confidently develop products that deliver on both taste and function.
“Brands want safe, natural, and effective ingredients,” says Hume. “And the consumer wants something that works—but also aligns with clean-label trends.” That’s what makes this alliance potentially revolutionary for the industry.
