Genetically Engineered Lettuce Doubles Protein Content Using Rabbit Genes
The engineered plants produced about 800 mg of myoglobin per kilogram of dry weight, and researchers say the protein could improve plant-based meat.
- An international team led by Alexia Groff at Imperial College London genetically engineered lettuce and tobacco plants to produce myoglobin, the animal protein responsible for meat's color and flavor, according to findings published in Frontiers in Plant Science.
- Researchers utilized a 'gene gun' to fire DNA-coated metal particles into plant cells, targeting chloroplasts because Groff explained they excel at protein production due to their 'bacterial ancestry and their high number of copies per cell.'
- Testing showed the engineered seedlings incorporated DNA, which successfully passed to their offspring; the plants yielded 810 mg of myoglobin per kilogram of dry weight.
- Plant cultivation requires significantly less water and energy than livestock production; Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, director of the ICL's Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein, stated this approach could rival animal agriculture yields.
- Researchers caution that the food requires safety and sustainability testing before commercial viability; future work aims to determine if the plants can be safely grown and consumed.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Why Scientists Used a ‘Gene Gun’ to Shoot Pig DNA Into Lettuce
The proteinmaxxing trend, wherein seemingly every product on grocery shelves is jam-packed with protein to constipate a horse, seems to be hitting its zenith. How else do you explain a team of researchers, who published their findings in Frontiers in Plant Science, announcing that they’ve created protein-packed lettuce that produces pig protein, and did it […] The post Why Scientists Used a ‘Gene Gun’ to Shoot Pig DNA Into Lettuce appeared first…
Berliner Morgenpost
Researchers have genetically modified lettuce plants to produce an important protein from meat. Still, it's just an experiment.
Plant biotechnology opens the way to more efficient and environmentally friendly meat substitutes
Genetically Engineered Lettuce Doubles Protein Content Using Rabbit Genes
Scientists have created a new variety of lettuce packed with significantly more protein than ordinary versions, pointing toward a future where everyday vegetables could help address nutritional shortfalls around the world. The development, reported by Futurism, involves inserting rabbit genes into lettuce plants to produce a muscle protein called myoglobin. The resulting leafy greens contain roughly twice the protein content of traditional lettu…
Scientists Genetically Engineer High-Protein Lettuce
Scientists have finally created what might be the only thing that can get meatheads to eat their veggies: protein lettuce. By literally shooting pig genes into the chloroplasts of lettuce and tobacco cells, an international team of researchers were able to grow produce that contained the animal protein myoglobin, they report in a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science. Is this the pathway to the next ridiculous protein-inf…
Researchers used a gene gun to make lettuce and tobacco produce cattle and pig myoglobin, the protein that gives meat its red colour and umami flavour
Science News: Let us accept it: livestock farming is a heavy burden on the environment. Raising animal feed takes vast amounts of land and huge supplies of freshwat.
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