Imperial College London scientists make lettuce and tobacco produce myoglobin
Scientists at Imperial College London have figured out how to make lettuce and tobacco plants produce myoglobin, the protein that gives meat its red color and savory taste.
Their breakthrough could make plant-based meats look and taste more like the real thing, while also being much better for the planet than traditional livestock farming.
Gene gun tripled myoglobin yields
By using a gene gun to add myoglobin genes from cattle and pigs directly into the plants' chloroplasts (the part that does photosynthesis), they got much higher yields, about three times more than older methods.
If scaled up, this could mean tastier, more nutritious veggie burgers with a much smaller environmental footprint, using less water and producing fewer greenhouse gasses.
It's a promising step toward making meat alternatives even more appealing and sustainable.