Umami Bioworks, a Singapore-based start-up known for its innovations in cultivated seafood, has unveiled an advanced version of its AI tool, Alkemyst.

Originally developed to optimise the production of cultivated seafood, the latest iteration now extends its capabilities across the entire seafood value chain, including aquaculture.

The Alkemyst AI model has been meticulously trained on a diverse dataset that encompasses both public and proprietary information related to marine genomics, metabolomics and seafood sensory attributes.

This extensive data foundation, alongside a growing proprietary dataset that includes production parameters, allows Alkemyst to facilitate a comprehensive approach to cultivated seafood innovation.

Key applications of Alkemyst

Umami Bioworks has identified several critical applications for the revamped Alkemyst platform, which include:

Feed optimisation: The AI enables precision formulation of aquaculture feeds, aimed at reducing environmental impacts while enhancing growth rates and nutritional profiles.

Increased protein content: Alkemyst identifies feed strategies and cellular mechanisms that can enhance protein yield in both cultivated and conventional seafood.

Climate-resilient species development: The tool employs biomarker-based modeling to accelerate breeding programmes for species that can better withstand changing ocean conditions.

Land-based aquaculture enhancement: Specialised algorithms are utilised for biomarker-based breeding and optimising growing conditions for species transitioning to controlled-environment aquaculture.

Precision optimisation of cell culture media: Alkemyst fine-tunes formulations for various cultivated seafood species, enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Product nutrition and sensory enhancement: The model employs metabolic modeling to optimise feed and growth conditions, improving flavour, texture and nutritional value for an authentic seafood experience.

New product development: Alkemyst accelerates the 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,” said Mihir Pershad, CEO and co-founder of Umami Bioworks.

He added: “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.”

The launch of this next-generation tool is backed by notable global investors, including Aqua-Spark, Maruha Nichiro and Build Collective. These partnerships underscore Umami Bioworks' commitment to leveraging cutting-edge AI and biotechnology to foster a more sustainable seafood ecosystem.