FunGeneX produces chicken egg protein without chicken

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Biotech start up FunGeneX B.V. based in Breda the Netherlands succeeds in producing chicken egg protein using fungi. The protein ovalbumin is the main component of chicken egg protein and is important for the binding properties of egg protein. Applications of egg protein are numerous as it is used in producing bread, pastry, drinks, meat, ice cream, dairy, salads, sauces and dressings. The world market is several million tons per year, thus the potential for a plant-based alternative is huge. The genetically engineered fungus (GRAS) appeared to secrete very efficiently the egg protein ovalbumin from sugar. It produces the chicken egg protein even in surprising large amounts more than twenty times the current world record.

 

The production of chicken egg proteins will take place in big fermentation tanks like is being done for the production of beer, wine, antibiotics and baker’s yeast. That we can now do this also for egg proteins is exiting breakthrough.

 

Moreover, this new production method is much more sustainable than production via the chicken production chain. The land use will be ten times smaller with the new production chain as compared tot the egg production chain, as you do not need to produce the chicken, and the efficiency of fungi in producing protein is much more efficient as compared to animals. The expectation is that the protein can be produced commercially from sugar beet, sugar cane or grain based sugars within 4-6 years from now.