For those who want to taste the extinct woolly mammoth, you might have a chance to do so. According to a report, a startup company from Belgium planned to make burgers from its DNA.
Woolly Mammoth Burger
The Belgian startup Paleo makes synthetic proteins for the artificial-meat industry. Hermes Sanctorum, the company's CEO, is eager to grow the company to produce woolly mammoth burgers, motivated in part by a "childhood fascination with prehistory," The Economist reported.
The company has gotten DNA fragments from up to 1.2 million-year-old mammoth teeth discovered in the Siberian tundra by collaborating with the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Sweden. The firm intends to recreate the mammoth form of the gene that encodes myoglobin, a protein that contributes to the meat's rich flavor and brilliant red color. These fragments were mixed with DNA from Asian and African elephants, the mammoth's closest surviving relatives.
The DNA of yeast had that gene added, and the organism promptly started producing mammoth myoglobin. The protein was blended with binders, including potato starch, oil, salt, and other flavors, to give it a burger-like flavor and consistency.
According to Paleo's patent, the myoglobin in the burger produces a variety of chemical reactions that give the burger its unique flavors. In contrast to beef, Sanctorum claims mammoth burgers have a "more intense" flavor. The company hinted that its mammoth meat would be publicly available after raising €12 million ($13.1 million) in its initial fundraising round in February. An ice age theme park and many vegan burger vendors are reportedly interested.
How Did Paleo Create Its Woolly Mammoth Burger?
Paleo produced myoglobin without using animal cells by using precise fermentation and yeast. The Center for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm, Sweden, created the mammoth myoglobin using brief DNA sequences from a 1.2 million-year-old fossil.
Assembling old DNA is like putting together a puzzle since it is fragmented, Sanctorum told Insider in an email in April. These tiny DNA pieces were aligned with one another using the myoglobin gene from Asian and African elephants, which allowed us to recreate the entire sequence.
According to Sanctorum, they tasted the mammoth protein before adding it to other plant-based burger variations. He noted that adding cow myoglobin to a meatless burger gives it a meat-like flavor, scent, and striking red hue. Still, the effects were considerably more noticeable when using mammoth.
The flavor is considerably more potent and meatier when massive myoglobin is added. Chemical testing supported this, according to Sanctorum. He said more fragrant chemicals are found in grilled meat than cow myoglobin.
According to Gregg Rentfrow, a professor at the University of Kentucky Animal and Food Science Extension, fat and caramelization of proteins affect the flavor of meat.
Paleo created its enormous myoglobin two years ago and has pending patent applications.
RELATED ARTICLE: Crocodile-Like Beast That Roamed In Tanzania 240 Million Years Ago Discovered, Gets New Name
Check out more news and information on Paleontology in Science Times.
