Myconeos: the Start-up Developing New Fungal Strains Previously Thought to be Asexual
Fungal strains play a crucial role in the production of cheese, fermented meats, and plant-based food. They contribute to the specific flavor, appearance, and characteristics of these foods. Established manufacturing processes rely on strains in cell banks, which reproduce asexually, resulting in genetic drift, contamination and quality problems.
Myconeos, a UK-based start-up founded on fungal microbiological research from the University of Nottingham, has developed proprietary technology to address these shortcomings. Myconeos’ technology is capable of sexually breeding fungi species, giving rise to new strains with specific characteristics for the maturation and fermentation of food products.
Using classical and DNA approaches, Myconeos isolated previously believed asexual fungal strains such as Penicillium and Aspergillus from both the environment and food production chains. This enabled them to breed strains, including Fusarium, together, leading to the creation of natural strains with increased genetic diversity, resulting in resilient and adaptable fermentation strains.
“The breeding technology produces natural strains, meaning no GMO, no CRISPR, nothing,” says Myconeos co-founder and CEO Richard Simpson. To achieve the right conditions for breeding, the start-up considers factors such as partner compatibility, light, atmosphere, proximity, and targets high-value characteristics in the progeny. With a fungi bank of over 300 strains, Myconeos has now developed a large-scale breeding program.
The new strains Myconeos develops can be used as small “biomanufacturing factories” to produce unique natural fermentation strains and new food ingredients. Myconeos claims that these new strains can provide a range of novel characteristics, such as new flavors, aromas, and textures. These enhanced sensory characteristics are especially beneficial for mould-ripened food products, including cheese and meat fermentation.
Myconeos has already launched a range of “novel and unique” Penicillium roqueforti strains for producers of blue cheese. It is also working on breeding a new selection of strains designed to perform equally well in plant-based dairy, which is expected to be available towards the end of 2023.
With a focus on food, Myconeos has partnered with a “major” European culture house to improve its existing strain portfolio and has an ongoing project with a known tempeh producer. The company has a licensing model, allowing others to use its expertise in producing strains.
Furthermore, Myconeos plans to speed up its partnerships and investment in high-throughput screening and computational biology to unlock potential in plant-based foods, where its strains are key in producing innovative, high-quality products. While currently focusing on strains, in the future, there is scope for Myconeos to expand its focus into metabolites produced by these fungal strains.
“And there are some valuable mycotoxins that the strains produce as well, so potential opportunities that are wider than just food…” says Simpson.
The possibilities Myconeos creates will enhance the food technology industry, improving the quality and creating more sustainable and efficient production systems.