PITCH CHALLENGE

Trainee Oral Presentation Session Schedule

1. Jaspreet Kaur

Emulsifying Properties of Transglutaminase-Treated White and Blue Lupin Protein Isolates

2. Ravinder Singh

A Rheology-Based Approach for Rapid Screening of Plant Protein Ingredients for Meat Analogues

3. Sachini Senarathna

Assessing Celiac-Related Oat Proteins Across Canadian Oat Cultivars Using LC-MS/MS

4. Fernando Viacava Romo

Rapid Functional Screening of Pulse Protein Concentrates Using GlutoPeak®: Toward Faster Quality Assessment for Plant-Based Food Applications

5. Ireland Kyrzyk-Smith

Use of Alternative Breeding Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity in the Cattle Sector

6. Vidheesha Abeysinghe

Solvent-Casted vs. Extrusion-Moulded Canola Protein Films: Functional Evaluation for Sustainable Packaging

7. Si Nhat (Brian) Nguyen

Protein-Centered Compositional Variation and Associated Bioactives in Canadian Barley Genotypes for Diverse End Uses

8. Poonam Neupane

Enhancing the Use of Agri-Food By-Products in Livestock Nutrition to Promote Resilient Food Production

Industry–Trainee Protein Innovation Pitch Challenge

Turning Co-Products into Opportunity

A new interactive feature of MSPRS 2026

A solution-driven challenge connecting emerging talent with real opportunities in Manitoba’s protein sector.

For the first time, the Manitoba Sustainable Protein Research Symposium is launching the Industry–Trainee Protein Innovation Pitch Challenge — an engaging new event designed to bring trainees face-to-face with real industry challenges and real innovation opportunities.

This year’s focus is on co-product valorization — turning underused outputs from protein systems into meaningful value. Participants will work in teams to develop innovative, technically grounded solutions for challenges in both Animal and Plant protein systems.

These are not made-up case studies. They are rooted in actual industry needs and informed by industry partners, creating a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of science, engineering, and real-world application.


Who Should Participate

Teams may include undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates who are eager to tackle applied challenges and think beyond the lab.


What Teams Will Do

Develop New Concepts Apply Science & Engineering Evaluate Feasibility Pitch to Experts
  • Develop novel product or process concepts
  • Apply food science and engineering principles
  • Consider feasibility, scalability, and sustainability
  • Present ideas to a panel of academic and industry experts

More than a competition

This challenge is a platform to showcase ideas, build interdisciplinary connections, gain exposure to industry perspectives, and help shape the future of sustainable protein systems.

Whether you are interested in product development, processing innovation, or sustainability, this is your opportunity to engage, innovate, and make an impact.

For guidelines of the competition, click here.

Industry–Trainee Protein Innovation Pitch Challenge Guidelines
Industry Challenge Brief 1
Industry Challenge Brief 2

Key Dates

Milestone Date
Team Registration and Challenge Selection Deadline May 6, 2026
1-Page Written Pitch Submission Deadline May 22, 2026
Notification of AcceptanceMay 26, 2026
Pitch Slide Deck Submission Deadline (guidelines provided May 6) June 12, 2026
Competition Date June 23, 2026