Scientists have used CRISPR to modify the fungus Fusarium venenatum, creating a strain that produces protein faster and with fewer emissions. The engineered version, named FCPD, reduces sugar use by 44% and grows 88% quicker than the original. It offers a more digestible and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional meat.
A study published on November 19 in Trends in Biotechnology details how researchers at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China, enhanced Fusarium venenatum using CRISPR gene editing. This fungus, already known for its meat-like flavor and texture, was improved without introducing foreign DNA. By deleting genes for chitin synthase and pyruvate decarboxylase, the team thinned the cell walls for better digestibility and optimized metabolism to cut resource needs.
The modified strain, FCPD, requires 44% less sugar to produce the same protein amount and grows 88% faster. Across its life cycle, it lowers greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60% compared to the unmodified fungus, with assessments modeled in countries like Finland and China.
"There is a popular demand for better and more sustainable protein for food," said corresponding author Xiao Liu. "We successfully made a fungus not only more nutritious but also more environmentally friendly by tweaking its genes."
Animal agriculture contributes 14% of global greenhouse gases and strains land and water resources. Fusarium venenatum, approved for consumption in the UK, China, and US, addresses this but needed efficiency gains. Versus chicken production in China, FCPD uses 70% less land and reduces freshwater pollution potential by 78%.
"A lot of people thought growing mycoprotein was more sustainable, but no one had really considered how to reduce the environmental impact of the entire production process," noted first author Xiaohui Wu.
Liu added, "Gene-edited foods like this can meet growing food demands without the environmental costs of conventional farming."
The work was funded by Chinese research programs.