Gene-Edited Mycoprotein Points to a Leaner Protein Future

Gene-edited fermentation delivers faster growth, higher efficiency, and sharply lower emissions, pushing alternative proteins toward scalable sustainability

19 Dec 2025

A long-established meat alternative is being reshaped by gene editing, offering faster growth and lower costs for producers of mycoprotein, a fermented fungal protein sold globally as a substitute for meat.

Mycoprotein has been produced for decades using large fermentation tanks fed with sugar. What has changed is the organism itself. Researchers have edited the fungus’s genes to remove traits that slow growth or waste energy, without introducing foreign DNA. The modified strain converts sugar into protein more quickly and with fewer losses.

In controlled trials, scientists recorded growth rates rising by about 88 per cent, alongside a sharp improvement in how efficiently glucose is turned into edible protein. For an industry facing high feedstock costs, the gains are significant. Sugar is one of the largest expenses in fermentation, and higher yields directly improve margins.

The faster growth also alters the economics of scale. Greater output from existing fermentation tanks reduces the need for new factories, which are costly to build and slow to permit. Producers can expand supply by improving productivity rather than investing heavily in new capacity.

Environmental impacts may also fall. Life-cycle modelling suggests greenhouse gas emissions could be about 60 per cent lower than for conventional mycoprotein. Improved efficiency reduces waste, which in turn lowers water pollution and other downstream effects. For food companies under pressure to meet climate targets, such reductions are increasingly important.

The advance reflects a broader shift across the alternative protein sector. After years of rapid expansion and ambitious claims, companies are focusing more on cost control, efficiency and scalability. Improving existing production systems, rather than developing entirely new foods, is emerging as a more practical route to growth.

The research has been reported in peer-reviewed journals, including Trends in Biotechnology, giving scientific backing to the performance claims. However, regulatory treatment remains uncertain. Some regulators distinguish between gene edits that do not add foreign DNA and traditional genetic modification, which could ease approvals in certain markets. Consumer acceptance and labelling rules will also influence how quickly products reach consumers.

Even so, the technology points to a clearer commercial path for fermented proteins. By combining lower production costs with meaningful emissions cuts, gene-edited mycoprotein suggests how familiar foods could be adapted to meet environmental and economic pressures without radical changes to diets.