Difference between revisions of "Real Vegan Cheese"
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The goal of this project is to make real vegan cheese by engineering normal baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae) to express milk protein (casein), purifying the protein, creating a milk-substitute by blending in vegan replacements for lactose and milkfat, and finally turning the resulting milk-substitute into semi-hard cheese like gouda using the normal cheese-making process. Watch a [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/real-vegan-cheese/ brief video about the project]. | The goal of this project is to make real vegan cheese by engineering normal baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae) to express milk protein (casein), purifying the protein, creating a milk-substitute by blending in vegan replacements for lactose and milkfat, and finally turning the resulting milk-substitute into semi-hard cheese like gouda using the normal cheese-making process. | ||
* Watch a [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/real-vegan-cheese/ brief video about the project]. | |||
* Check out our website at [https://www.realvegancheese.org/ realvegancheese.org]. | |||
* Read our [https://www.realvegancheese.org/news Blog Posts] about this project. | |||
The main challenges include: | The main challenges include: | ||
* Biology | * Biology | ||
** Getting the major casein | ** Find all the nitty-gritty on how we engineer our host organism to produce cheese proteins in our pages on [[molecular biology]], [[cloning strategy]], [[gBlock design]], [[plasmid design]], [[Yeast Transformation]]. | ||
** Getting the major [[Molecular_biology#Proteins|casein proteins]] expressed, and ideally secreted. | |||
** Achieving a high level of expression. | ** Achieving a high level of expression. | ||
** Ensuring | ** Ensuring any necessary [[Molecular_biology#Post-translational_modification|post-translational modifications]] take place. | ||
** Cost-efficient protein purification. | ** Cost-efficient [[protein purification]]. | ||
** Stable micelle-formation. | ** [[Molecular_biology#Role_of_phosphorylation_and_glycosylation_in_micelle_formation_or_coagulation |Stable micelle-formation.]] | ||
** Finding | ** Finding suitable [[alternative fats]]. | ||
** Finding | ** Finding suitable [[alternative sugars]]. | ||
** Can we achieve the same flavor and aroma profile using the traditional cheese ripening [[bacterial cultures]]? | |||
* Ethical and | * [[Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications]] | ||
** | ** Can we produce this cheese in a way that is (a) better for the environment, and (b) economically feasible? Check our page on [[Life Cycle Assessments and Techno-Economic Analyses]] | ||
* Safety | * Safety | ||
** Ensuring a safe and responsible research environment is already a key goal of CCL and BioC, but we will have to field potential safety concerns specifically related to the Real Vegan Cheese project. | ** Ensuring a safe and responsible research environment is already a key goal of CCL and BioC, but we will have to field potential safety concerns specifically related to the Real Vegan Cheese project. | ||
** Check out the [https://www.genspace.org/community-biology-biosafety-handbook Community Biology Safety Handbook], edited with help from some of our members. | |||
* Funding and spreading the word | * Funding and spreading the word | ||
| Line 26: | Line 32: | ||
* Education | * Education | ||
** Providing hands-on lab training. | ** Providing hands-on lab training. | ||
** Check out our [[Educational Videos]] about many parts of the process! | |||
= Getting involved = | = Getting involved = | ||
[https://www.realvegancheese.org/news/so-you-want-to-join-the-real-vegan-cheese-project-orientation-for-new-folks '''So, you want to join the Real Vegan Cheese project? - Orientation for new folks'''] - September 2022 blog post. | |||
Here are some different ways to get involved: | Here are some different ways to get involved: | ||
*Go to one of our Monday evening working meetings: | *Go to one of our Monday evening working meetings 7pm PST: | ||
**[https://www.meetup.com/counter-culture-labs/events/calendar/ Counter Culture Labs Meetup calendar] | **[https://www.meetup.com/counter-culture-labs/events/calendar/ Counter Culture Labs Meetup calendar] | ||
**[https://www.meetup.com/biocurious/events/calendar/ BioCurious Meetup calendar] | **[https://www.meetup.com/biocurious/events/calendar/ BioCurious Meetup calendar] | ||
| Line 40: | Line 48: | ||
*Add to this wiki. | *Add to this wiki. | ||
= | = More links to incorporate = | ||
*[[Science]] | *[[Science]] | ||
**[[Microbiology]] | **[[Microbiology]] | ||
**[[Protein Expression in Yeast]] | **[[Protein Expression in Yeast]] | ||
*[[Bureaucracy]] | |||
*[[Cheese making]] | *[[Cheese making]] | ||
*[[Existing vegan cheeses]] | *[[Existing vegan cheeses]] | ||
*[[ | *[[Experiments started January 2016]] | ||
*[[External communications]] | *[[External communications]] | ||
*[[Finances]] - Incoming monies, purchases, etc. | *[[Finances]] - Incoming monies, purchases, etc. | ||
*[[Health effects: allergy and cancer link]] | |||
*[[How to take notes and record data]] | |||
*[[Media]] - Articles written about us | *[[Media]] - Articles written about us | ||
*[[Product viability]] | |||
*[[Narwhal Cheese]]! | |||
*[[Questions and answers]] | |||
*[[Service and reagent providers]] - Sequencing, synthesis, enzymes, etc. | |||
*[[Shared Laboratory Notebook]] | |||
*[[Similar projects]] - Other people doing similar stuff | *[[Similar projects]] - Other people doing similar stuff | ||
*[[Software]] | |||
*[[Video]] - Video and audio documentation, teleconferencing and live-streaming | |||
Latest revision as of 02:48, 18 July 2023
The goal of this project is to make real vegan cheese by engineering normal baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae) to express milk protein (casein), purifying the protein, creating a milk-substitute by blending in vegan replacements for lactose and milkfat, and finally turning the resulting milk-substitute into semi-hard cheese like gouda using the normal cheese-making process.
- Watch a brief video about the project.
- Check out our website at realvegancheese.org.
- Read our Blog Posts about this project.
The main challenges include:
- Biology
- Find all the nitty-gritty on how we engineer our host organism to produce cheese proteins in our pages on molecular biology, cloning strategy, gBlock design, plasmid design, Yeast Transformation.
- Getting the major casein proteins expressed, and ideally secreted.
- Achieving a high level of expression.
- Ensuring any necessary post-translational modifications take place.
- Cost-efficient protein purification.
- Stable micelle-formation.
- Finding suitable alternative fats.
- Finding suitable alternative sugars.
- Can we achieve the same flavor and aroma profile using the traditional cheese ripening bacterial cultures?
- Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications
- Can we produce this cheese in a way that is (a) better for the environment, and (b) economically feasible? Check our page on Life Cycle Assessments and Techno-Economic Analyses
- Safety
- Ensuring a safe and responsible research environment is already a key goal of CCL and BioC, but we will have to field potential safety concerns specifically related to the Real Vegan Cheese project.
- Check out the Community Biology Safety Handbook, edited with help from some of our members.
- Funding and spreading the word
- We have raised about $37,000 on indiegogo and the funding we raised is being used on developing the feasibility of producing Real Vegan Cheese from baker's yeast.
- Patents
- We plan to patent and abandon to keep this technology free for everyone
- Education
- Providing hands-on lab training.
- Check out our Educational Videos about many parts of the process!
Getting involved
So, you want to join the Real Vegan Cheese project? - Orientation for new folks - September 2022 blog post.
Here are some different ways to get involved:
- Go to one of our Monday evening working meetings 7pm PST:
- Read our Introductory mini-textbook (work in progress)
- Get on one or more of our mailing lists
- Help fund the project
- Send us an email at info@counterculturelabs.org
- Add to this wiki.
More links to incorporate
- Science
- Bureaucracy
- Cheese making
- Existing vegan cheeses
- Experiments started January 2016
- External communications
- Finances - Incoming monies, purchases, etc.
- Health effects: allergy and cancer link
- How to take notes and record data
- Media - Articles written about us
- Product viability
- Narwhal Cheese!
- Questions and answers
- Service and reagent providers - Sequencing, synthesis, enzymes, etc.
- Shared Laboratory Notebook
- Similar projects - Other people doing similar stuff
- Software
- Video - Video and audio documentation, teleconferencing and live-streaming