Let them eat… mold? CRISPR gene-edited mushroom derivative used to ferment soy sauce can enhance nutrition and flavor of meat-free proteins

Scientists have discovered how to make meat alternatives with fungi… The fungus tested is called koji mold and has a long history in East Asia, where it’s used to ferment starches into sake, soy sauce and miso.

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The researchers studied a multicellular fungus called Aspergillus oryzae, also known as koji mold [used for sake and soy sauce], then developed a gene-editing system using a CRISPR-Cas9 toolkit that can make consistent and reproducible changes to the koji mold genome. They then modified the mold to create a food source.

Hill-Maini said the team focused on boosting the mold’s production of heme – an iron-based molecule found mostly in animal tissue that gives meat its color and distinctive flavor. They then worked on creating more ergothioneine – an antioxidant only found in fungi and that is associated with cardiovascular health benefits.

[Berkeley Lab chef-turned-bioengineer Vayu] Hill-Maini said, “We think that there’s a lot of room to explore texture by varying the fiber-like morphology of the cells. So, we might be able to program the structure of the fibers to be longer, which would give a more meat-like experience. And then we can think about boosting lipid composition for mouth feel and further nutrition.”

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