‘Lab-Grown’ Dairy Products Replace Cows With Yeast

Thanks to a novel form of milk synthesis, that might change. Australian startup Eden Brew has been hard at work perfecting a way to create “cow-free dairy products” using yeast. Rather than relying on cows—which require a lot of land and emit greenhouse gasses—Eden Brew uses a process called precision fermentation to produce milk proteins in a lab. The result is a product that matches the taste, appearance, mouthfeel, and heat stability normally boasted by cow’s milk.

Eden Brew’s scientists begin by using synthetic DNA to genetically program yeast and other microorganisms to produce specific proteins. Cow’s milk contains about 20 different proteins, which are either considered casein or whey proteins. These lend cow’s milk its color, texture, and ability to withstand high heat, the latter of which is vital to avoiding curdling when added to coffee or stovetop meals. Eden Brew synthesizes six of these proteins in the lab, then dehydrates them to sell to dairy firms. Once a dairy firm obtains these proteins, it can rehydrate them and blend them into a marketable product. Minerals, plant-based fats, and a small quantity of sugar turn the proteins into a cow (and lactose) free competitor to what some now consider to be an outdated product.

American startups like Perfect Day and New Culture use similar precision fermentation processes to make proteins used in cow-free cheeses, yogurts, and ice cream products. In fact, they’re so successful that you may have previously eaten yeast-produced dairy products without even realizing it: many frozen desserts, chocolate bars, whey proteins, and other products that are advertised as “lactose-free” use these firms’ proteins in their recipes. Like animal-free “meat” products, lab-grown dairy products are even finding success with consumers who are indifferent about animal welfare and environmental concerns but find the products’ novelty intriguing.

Continue reading

Scientists Confirm the Presence of Water on the Moon

Scientists have confirmed the discovery of molecular water on the moon. Is there any of it in a form we can use? That's less clear.

Intel’s Raja Koduri to Present at Samsung Foundry’s Upcoming Conference

Intel's Raja Koduri will speak at a Samsung foundry event this week — and that's not something that would happen if Intel didn't have something to say.

Review: The Oculus Quest 2 Could Be the Tipping Point for VR Mass Adoption

The Oculus Quest 2 is now available, and it's an improvement over the original in every way that matters. And yet, it's $100 less expensive than the last release. Having spent some time with the Quest 2, I believe we might look back on it as the headset that finally made VR accessible to mainstream consumers.

AMD Smashes Revenue Records as Zen 3, Xbox Series X, PS5 Ramp Up

AMD's Q3 2020 results are in, and the results are excellent for the company, in every particular.