Egg whites are everywhere—cakes, cookies, protein powders, and more. But producing them the usual way, with millions of hens on farms, isn’t exactly eco-friendly. Hens need lots of food, water, and space. Plus, they produce waste and greenhouse gases, which isn't great for the planet.
But here's some good news: Scientists in Finland might have found a smarter, greener solution—using fungus to make the main protein found in egg whites. A research team from the University of Helsinki and the VTT Technical Research Centre took a special kind of fungus called Trichoderma reesei and gave it a little genetic makeover. They inserted a gene from chickens that tells the body how to make ovalbumin—that’s the protein that makes up more than half of egg whites.
The fungus, once modified, started producing ovalbumin on its own. The researchers then collected the protein, turned it into powder, and tested it. The results? Pretty amazing. This fungus-made protein foams just like regular egg white powder, which is super important for baking and food production. So it could be used in all the same ways as traditional egg whites. Even better, making ovalbumin this way could be a big win for the environment:
1. It might use 90% less land than raising chickens.
2. It could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 55%—or even 72% if powered by clean energy.
3. It doesn’t involve animals, which is good news for anyone interested in animal-free food.
The researchers are still figuring out exactly how much energy the process will need overall, but they’re optimistic that it’ll be a much more sustainable option.
So, next time you crack an egg, just imagine—a future where your meringue might be powered by fungi, not farms. Pretty wild, right?
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