Optimization of a Sustainable and Safe Method for Recombinant Milk Proteins from Fungal Fermentation of Agricultural By-products

Growing global demand for dairy products will soon outstrip available supply and the planet's environmental capacity, with an increase of 62% by 2050. Although alternative dairy products can fill this gap, differences in taste and functionality remain major obstacles to their adoption. However, precision fermentation offers a promising solution, since the proteins that give dairy products their taste and different capabilities (melting, stretching, whipping, foaming, etc.) can be produced by microorganisms. However, the technology comes up against various obstacles (production efficiency, quality of the proteins generated, etc.). To overcome these problems, Harvest Moon Foods Inc. is proposing an innovative approach based on CRISPR-Cas9 technology, microbial protoplasmic fusion and the endogenous metabolism of filamentous fungi, which will enable the development of proprietary strains capable of producing dairy proteins. As a result, this new process will not only generate alternative dairy proteins of superior quality to those currently on the market, but also with high yields. The use of Canadian agricultural by-products, which will be converted into fermented raw material by the mushrooms to support their production of recombinant milk proteins, will also enable the valorization of residual materials, thus promoting a circular and sustainable economy.