Enzyme-mediated dye degradation
Fusarium venenatum A3/5 used waste-relevant carbon sources in markedly different ways, affecting feedstock choices for mycoprotein production. Researchers combined microlitre cultures, optical-density calibration, UHPLC time series and Gompertz models. Glucose and sucrose enabled fast growth but produced low biomass yields and substantial ethanol. Fructose gave the highest yield, at 0.49 g/g, while lactose consumption reached only 34% after 234.5 hours. An expired functional drink produced 18.37 g/L biomass, versus 12.49 g/L for a matched synthetic control. Beverage waste was the strongest tested feedstock, but evidence covers one real waste stream.
27 September 2026
Science digest
A review maps how milk proteins from humans, cows, goats and camels could be chosen and made through precision fermentation, addressing design gaps in target selection and protein processing. It compares sequences, structures and post-production modifications, then assesses host engineering, scale-up, purification and AI methods. Human proteins suit infant nutrition and immune uses, while ruminant proteins fit current expression systems better. α-Lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin need fewer modifications than caseins and lactoferrin. AI cannot yet optimise yield, folding and modification accuracy together, leaving scale-up, glycoengineering and regulation unresolved.
27 September 2026
Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics
Gelatin-coated alginate microcarriers supported muscle cell culture in static and agitated systems, suggesting an edible scaffold for cultivated meat production. Researchers electrosprayed spherical, 242 µm alginate particles, coated them with gelatin, and seeded them with mouse myoblasts and immortalised bovine satellite cells at two densities for seven days. Both cell types remained viable and proliferated under static conditions, with metabolic activity similar to 2D cultures. Agitation slightly reduced proliferation, but metabolic activity and carrier structure remained stable. The early shake-flask evidence warrants further scale-up testing.
27 September 2026