Kansas Wheat Germ Powers Big Ideas at Tritica Biosciences

A Kansas startup is putting wheat at the center of a biotechnology breakthrough that could change how medicines are made and delivered worldwide.

Tritica Biosciences, founded by husband and wife team Dr. Chris and Brandi Miller, is using wheat germ, the tiny embryo inside the kernel, to power a process called cell-free protein synthesis. In simple terms, they have figured out how to turn wheat germ into a shelf-stable “factory” that makes proteins on demand.

Wheat germ’s unique role

The key is Tritica’s ability to separate and preserve the wheat embryo intact. Unlike traditional milling byproducts that quickly go rancid, their process keeps embryos stable at room temperature. From there, the embryos are converted into an extract that can begin producing proteins when supplied with the right DNA instructions.

One example is insulin. Instead of relying on centralized production, hospitals or clinics could one day make insulin locally by adding water and the correct DNA to wheat germ extract.

“The seed goes in the soil and that embryo has to have every resource that it's going to take to get through the soil until it can get a leaf up and start photosynthesis,” Chris Miller said. “It's packed with concentrated machinery. You couldn’t go take leaves or grass clippings and do what we do. It’s really specific to the embryo.”

“In a nutshell, we can put in DNA for human insulin and the machines will pick up that instruction set and make it immediately,” Chris Miller said.

Endless possibilities

The Millers believe the applications reach far beyond pharmaceuticals. Their process has already shown success with enzymes, human DNA and even food-related proteins.

“We don’t even know fully, to be honest. We are just getting started,” Brandi Miller said. “Our big focus right now with the ARPA-H project is pharmaceuticals, but we think it’s endless. As Chris mentioned, we’ve had success with enzymes and even human DNA. It’s just a matter of optimization.”

The work is backed by a $29 million federal grant from ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. Tritica is partnering with other biotech firms to refine the process and test its potential in real-world health care settings.

Benefits for farmers and beyond

For Kansas farmers, the technology offers another way wheat could improve lives. The leftover grain from Tritica’s process can still be milled into flour, meaning nothing is wasted. The system also avoids toxic byproducts or wastewater.

“How cool would it be to think about using Kansas wheat to manufacture insulin,” Brandi Miller said. “If a farmer could grow a particular variety of wheat just for that purpose, it would be an incredible story for agriculture and health care.”

While the startup is still small, with just a handful of scientists working east of Manhattan, the Millers say the long-term potential is enormous. Beyond medicine, future uses could include animal nutrition, cosmetics and other industries that rely on proteins.

Tritica Biosciences began in a converted barn and has already outgrown multiple facilities. With support from ARPA-H and Kansas partnerships, the company is scaling up production and exploring how specific wheat varieties may perform in the process.

The Millers say their vision is simple: using Kansas-grown wheat to make life-saving products more accessible and sustainable.

To learn more about Tritica Biosciences, visit triticabio.com or listen to episode 320 of the Wheat’s on Your Mind podcast at wheatsonyourmind.com.