Mycoprotein - Molecular Genetics

Mycoprotein products like Quorn are derived from biomass of the fungus Fusarium venenatum.

The production of Quorn and other mycoprotein products is frequently disrupted by the appearance highly branched fungal variants known as C-variants.

These C-variants can outgrow the production strain, which can negatively affect the product’s texture and limit production efficiency.

I currently lead a collaborative project with Marlow Foods Ltd, the producer of Quorn, to understand the genetics behind these C-variants.

Utilising whole genome sequencing and variant analysis pipelines, transcriptomics, and CRISPR-based deletion and base editing, we’re attempting to identify candidate genes responsible for the C-variant phenotype in strains isolated from commercial mycoprotein production runs.

Our overall aim is to provide fundamental insight into which genes are involved in hyphal branching in Fusarium venenatum to aid the rational design of new strains of mycoprotein, with the potential to make mycoprotein production even more efficient and sustainable.