It is not often that a niche food item will simultaneously appear on a space mission and at one of the best restaurants in the world. This could happen as a Chicago-based company develops innovative new foods that originally started as part of research conducted for NASA.
From Volcano to Table
In 2009, Mark Kozubal discovered that microbes were thriving in the harsh, acidic water of Yellowstone National Park. He immediately scooped up a piece of the algal mat and sent it to the laboratory for further analysis. As a NASA researcher, Kozubal leads a team of scientists to study this extreme environment to find life that could be invaluable for space missions.
At first, Kozubal thought that the extremophile could become a source of new biodiesel. However, gas was so cheap in the US then, so it would be hard to compete. Since the microbe came from the fungus family, former president of the packaging company Thomas Jonas suggested turning the microbes into food.
In May 2018, the food company Nature's Fynd was launched in Chicago, using the fungus Fusarium str. Yellowstonensis (Fy) is the secret weapon. Kozubal and Jonas took 18 months before they were able to create anything that resembled food.
The pair had big plans but started small, so they focused on how the microbe would behave in nature. In a laboratory at the University of Chicago, they invented a technique called "liquid-air surface fermentation."
Kozubal and Jonas took a fungus cell placed in water and fed it with sugar to help them grow and multiply. The process was boosted using a bioreactor, and once it was done, the microbes were poured into catering trays with more water, salts, and sugars. The cooking tray's acidic environment helped Fy thrive while keeping other bacteria at bay. In just three days, the microbes turned into a mat of complete protein containing nine essential amino acids the human body needs. Each catering tray is also equivalent in protein to 25 chickens.
The team also discovered that the fungus was adaptable. The protein mat can be transformed into meatless burgers, protein powders, or dairy substitutes, depending on how it is treated. If the mat is chopped up and added with natural flavoring, it can resemble a meat patty. If it is blended with water, it can turn into a milk alternative and base for a non-dairy cream cheese. The company launched its first products in February 2021 and opened its factory in the spring of the same year. In January 2024, the company released the world's first fungi-based yogurt using Fy.
The researchers believe that Fy protein can be produced anywhere, so they decided to put that theory to the test. In July 2022, the fungus was sent to the International Space Station to see if astronauts could grow the protein in microgravity. The team successfully produced food for long-duration space missions using only a shoebox-sized bioreactor.
Feeding the World With Microbes
Simplicity is what makes the new protein a groundbreaking one. As a form of mycelium, Fy can grow in low-tech metal catering trays using less land and water. It also releases less greenhouse gas than beef production does. According to a 2024 study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, novel foods like mycelium yielded substantial reductions in environmental pressures from land use.
This was not the first time a miracle microbe was found at Yellowstone National Park. 1966 experts discovered Thermus aquaticus, which became the foundation of PCR tests. An enzyme from this bacteria can handle thermal cycles of heating and cooling used in DNA replication.
Check out more news and information on Fungus in Science Times.
