CRISPR‑tuned fungus offers meat‑like protein with far lower land, sugar and time costs

Walk past supermarket shelves and it's easy to forget the strain building on the global food system: demand for animal‑based protein is projected to double by 2050. Researchers at Jiangnan University used CRISPR gene editing to modify the fungus Fusarium venenatum — already used as a meat substitute — producing a strain that is easier to digest, requires fewer resources to grow and develops protein far more quickly.

What the researchers did

In a study published in Trends in Biotechnology, the team screened fungal genes and used CRISPR/Cas to disable targets linked to two key enzymes: chitin synthase and pyruvate decarboxylase. Knocking out chitin synthase–related genes weakened the fungus’s cell walls and improved digestibility. Disabling pyruvate decarboxylase–related genes altered metabolism so the organism needs fewer nutrients to build protein.

The engineered strain required 44% less sugar to produce the same amount of protein as the unedited fungus and generated protein 88% faster. Using those performance figures, the authors modelled large‑scale production and estimated the edited strain could require roughly 70% less land than chicken to yield an equivalent amount of protein, though they emphasize outcomes depend on local infrastructure and production methods.

Why this matters

Microbial protein — produced in stainless‑steel bioreactors from microbes fed sugars and minerals — can be cultivated year‑round and is less weather‑dependent than traditional livestock. It has a long history: commercial microbial feed products date to the 1970s, and several microbial‑derived foods are already sold for people. A strain that is both more digestible and more resource‑efficient could improve the environmental case for microbial proteins as an alternative to conventional meat and some cell‑cultured approaches.

“We successfully made a fungus not only more nutritious but also more environmentally friendly by tweaking its genes,” said Xiao Liu, corresponding author and assistant professor at Jiangnan University. “Gene‑edited foods like this can meet growing food demands without the environmental costs of conventional farming.”

Context and challenges

The alternative‑protein landscape is evolving: plant‑based meat saw a boom in the mid‑2010s but has faced slowing sales and scrutiny over additives and sodium in some formulations. Cultivated meat (animal cells grown in bioreactors) draws heavy investment and public curiosity but remains costly and politically contested — several U.S. states have restricted production or sale, and some countries have enacted bans.

Gene‑edited microbial proteins face their own hurdles: consumer acceptance of gene editing in food, safety reviews, labelling and regulation will shape adoption. Still, for companies and researchers aiming to scale alternative proteins, a CRISPR‑tuned fungus that uses less sugar, produces protein faster and could reduce land use substantially offers a promising route to lower‑impact, meat‑like nutrition.

Outlook

Further work will be needed to confirm taste, nutritional profile, large‑scale production economics and safety. If those challenges are addressed, gene‑edited fungi could become an important piece of a diversified, more sustainable protein system.

Source: study published in Trends in Biotechnology; researchers at Jiangnan University.