How Gene-Edited Fungi Are Changing the Math on Protein

A growing amount of climate and food research is focused on how to produce protein with fewer environmental costs. One recent study looked at a familiar mycoprotein source, Fusarium venenatum, and asked a practical question: can it be made more efficient without changing what it fundamentally is?

Using CRISPR, researchers edited two genes in the fungus to improve both digestibility and growth efficiency. Rather than inserting foreign DNA, the team removed specific genes involved in cell wall structure and metabolism. The goal was to reduce resource use while maintaining protein yield and food safety.

One edit targeted a gene involved in chitin production. Chitin helps give fungal cells structural strength, but it also makes protein harder to access during digestion. By reducing chitin synthesis, the modified strain produced thinner cell walls, which increased protein availability. A second edit altered a metabolic pathway linked to how the fungus processes sugars. This allowed the fungus to convert feedstock into protein more efficiently.

In growth trials, the engineered strain used about 44% less sugar to produce the same amount of protein and reached target yields roughly 88% faster than the original strain. From a production standpoint, both factors affect operating costs, energy use, and total emissions.

The researchers also evaluated the environmental footprint of large-scale production using life-cycle analysis. They modeled production across multiple countries with different electricity sources. In all cases, the engineered strain showed lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional Fusarium venenatum, with reductions of up to about 60% depending on the energy mix.

Comparisons with animal protein showed similar trends. When modeled against chicken production in China, the fungus-based protein required substantially less land and had lower freshwater pollution potential. These differences come mainly from avoiding feed crops, manure management, and methane-related impacts associated with livestock systems.

Because Fusarium venenatum is already approved for food use in several countries, the work focuses less on introducing a new food source and more on improving the efficiency of an existing one. The study adds to a broader set of research looking at how microbial proteins could supplement or partially replace animal protein in certain markets, particularly where land, water, and emissions constraints are becoming more significant.