Josephine Wee, Ph.D.
Assistant
Professor, Department
of Food Science
Penn State
Leveraging
fungal genotypes and fermented food microbiomes for sustainable food production
Abstract
Fungal mycelium, one of the most
abundant materials on earth is naturally composed of chitin, cellulose,
glucans, proteins, and other small molecules that can vary considerably between
and within different groups of fungi. On its own, pure mycelium has weak
material properties that are difficult to control for food
applications. While fungal mycelium materials offer expansive
possibilities, little is known about how the genetic capacity of fungal species
impact material structure and function. In the first part of my seminar, we
demonstrate how the genetic capacity of filamentous fungi and their
evolutionary diversity can help fine-tune material properties and function. As
proof of concept, we present two food applications for using mycelium as an
alternative protein source and as a scaffolding material for cell-cultivated
meat.
Fermented foods have been a part of the
human diet for centuries. In the second part of my seminar, I will discuss our
recently funded USDA NIFA project, where our team investigates the ancient
technology of sourdough fermentation and how we can leverage sourdough
microbiomes for targeted development of high-quality, celiac-safe bread
products. We hypothesize that sourdough microbiomes can impact the hydrolysis
of gluten proteins, driving differences in functional outcomes of bread
products, including texture, shelf-life, and gluten immunogenicity. Improved
knowledge of fermented food microbiomes can help us harness these microbiomes
to improve bread's safety, quality, and shelf life, thus creating strategies to
minimize food waste.