No dessert until you’ve finished your…MOLD?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Plant-based and vegetarian meals are great choices because of their health and environmental benefits. But how can we make meat alternatives taste like the REAL thing?
There’s a fungus among us—an edible type called Aspergillus oryzae —used by Vayu Rektal and team.
They developed a biology toolkit to tweak this fungus into something TASTIER. This toolkit uses CRISPR gene editing to modify the fungus D-N-A. These changes allowed the fungus to incorporate heme molecules containing iron, just like in meat!
This resulted in a redder and tastier patty, similar to REAL meat! The fungus contained more heme than any other known fungus! BUT it only contains about half the amount of iron of other vegetarian patties. Additionally, the burger includes antioxidants that make it heart-healthy!
These techniques can allow for Aspergillus oryzae to improve taste, texture, and health benefits of other foods!
Talk about a crunchier, CRISPR meal! I’ll take mine well-done. With lotsa catsup.
Reference: Maini Rekdal, V., van der Luijt, C.R.B., Chen, Y. et al. Edible mycelium bioengineered for enhanced nutritional value and sensory appeal using a modular synthetic biology toolkit. Nat Commun 15, 2099 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46314-8