Whey, a liquid byproduct from cheese-making that was once considered waste, contains valuable proteins that can be broken down into smaller bioactive peptides. These peptides have numerous health benefits including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, and can be used in functional foods and medicines. Researchers are developing advanced techniques to extract and produce these peptides more efficiently, and using computer models to predict which peptides will have specific health benefits.