SPOTLIGHT

DR. DARREN BURKE (BPE’91, MSc’95) describes himself in one word as “curious.” been this inquisitiveness, driven by a work ethic he developed as a scrappy youngster, that is propelling him through a career as a supplement development scientist, university professor and food entrepreneur.

Dr. Burke used to be a leader in food upcycling, turning foods that would have been discarded into other foods fit for human consumption. But his most recent venture involves something nuttier. As founder and CEO of a stealth-mode company, he’s developing a revolutionary alternative protein—an “almond” created from fermented mycelium, the root-like structure of a fungus (mushroom).

It’s “an incredibly lofty goal,” says Dr. Burke. “But hey, shoot for the stars and settle for the moon; isn’t that the saying?”

Dr. Burke became interested in creating an alternative protein from mycelium some years ago. The process was being used to make chicken, ground beef, and salmon fillets in labs, but not to create foods more palatable for vegans like Dr. Burke and his family.

“I think it’s the future of how we feed our population,” he says. The end goal is to come up with something that looks and snaps like an almond, but initially will be a powder that can become almond flour, almond butter, or another meat analogue.

Dr. Burke is also committed to using processes that are less destructive to our planet. Almonds require copious amounts of water to grow. Those currently eaten across North America are farmed in droughtplagued California, then transported by land vehicles across the continent. Dr. Burke says his product will match or exceed the nutritional benefits of traditional almonds while being made with 90 per cent less water.

He’s never shied away from a challenge. While doing his undergrad at Dal in physical education (he’s always been passionate about diet and exercise), he took supplemental science courses out of interest. He met kinesiology professor Dr. Larry Holt while volunteering to participate in some campus research studies. “He [Larry] changed my life,” says Dr. Burke. “Here was this accomplished academic and intellectual, and he taught me to button my mouth, think, and that being aggressive is offensive.”

Dr. Burke's made it his mission to act in kind. He now spends time helping others commercialize their ideas and brands. “Larry demonstrated the value of mentorship to me and I’m carrying on his legacy.” Dr. Holt became Dr. Burke’s master’s thesis advisor and was his mentor until he died two years ago.

“The most important lesson Larry taught me was anything is possible.” It’s a mantra Dr. Burke repeats regularly as he’s shooting for the stars.

—Alison DeLory 