Cell-grown seafood pioneer Umami expands its tech into real fish sector

Umami Bioworks, a pioneer in cell-cultivated seafood, is using its datasets and artificial intelligence (AI) expertise to expand into traditional aquaculture, wild fisheries, and seafood supply chains.

The Singapore-based company has announced the latest iteration of ALKEMYST, a domain-specific AI foundation model originally developed to accelerate cell-cultivated seafood production and now improved to support the broader seafood value chain.

The company said the AI model has been trained on a comprehensive dataset encompassing public and proprietary marine genomics, metabolomics, and seafood sensory data, plus a rapidly expanding proprietary dataset that includes production process parameters and organoleptic attributes specific to seafood species.

Key applications of ALKEMYST are said to include:

• Feed Optimisation – Precision formulation of aquaculture feeds that reduce environmental impact while improving growth rates and nutritional profiles.
• Increased protein content – Identification of feed strategies and cellular mechanisms that enhance protein yield in both cultivated and conventional seafood.
• Climate-resilient species development – Biomarker-based modelling and selection to accelerate breeding programmes for species better adapted to changing ocean conditions.
• Land-based aquaculture enhancement – Specialised algorithms for biomarker-based breeding and optimising growing conditions for species transitioning to controlled-environment aquaculture.
• Precision optimisation of cell culture media – Fine-tuning formulations for various cultivated seafood species to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Product nutrition and sensory enhancement – Metabolic modelling to optimise feed and growth conditions, enhancing flavour, texture, and nutritional value for an authentic seafood experience.
• New product development – Accelerated innovation of next-generation seafood products that align with evolving consumer preferences.

“This next-generation version of ALKEMYST is a huge step forward in AI-driven seafood innovation,” Mihir Pershad, chief executive and co-founder of Umami Bioworks, said in a press release.

“We’ve expanded ALKEMYST beyond cultivated seafood, enabling businesses across the entire seafood value chain to make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. This is more than just an AI model - it is a transformative tool for the future of global seafood.”

Umami Bioworks’ investors include Netherlands-based aquaculture investor Aqua-Spark, and Japanese tuna and trout farmer Maruha Nichiro.