A vegan mushroom protein bioreactor from Chicago-based company Nature’s Fynd is now in orbit aboard SpaceX-25 to develop new ways to deliver nutritious and sustainable protein for space exploration. The flight is the next step in Nature’s Fynd’s ongoing collaboration with NASA’s established program to boost competitive research, Montana State University and BioServe Space Technologies, a center at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The purpose of the in-flight study is to demonstrate the use of a new bioreactor technology for growing protein-rich foods on the International Space Station (ISS). So far, this bioreactor technology has proven effective in converting simple raw materials on Earth, including vegetation and other plant materials, into protein-rich fungi. Now, this flight will study the efficiency of the bioreactor under microgravity and radiation conditions in low Earth orbit.

“We are thrilled to announce our role in NASA’s groundbreaking research to develop a safe, efficient and robust system for producing fresh food in space. Our connection to NASA runs deep – Nature’s Fynd began as a research project for NASA, which led us to discover a remarkable microbe native to Yellowstone National Park,” said Thomas Jonas, CEO and co-founder of Nature’s Fynd, in a statement. “We are excited to come full circle now and demonstrate the effectiveness of our technology for future space travel.”

The new bioreactor aboard the ISS will grow Fy, Nature’s Fynd’s versatile and nutritional fungal protein, which originates from an acidic hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. It is grown using the company’s patented fermentation technology, which uses a fraction of the land, water and energy needed in traditional agriculture. Packed with all 20 amino acids, including the essential nine, Fy is a complete vegan protein as well as a source of fiber and other essential nutrients.

SpaceX

“Our revolutionary fermentation system is relatively simple, uses minimal energy and water, and delivers nutritious, easy-to-harvest protein with little to no waste in days, as perfect for the space as it is here on Earth,” Jonas said.

Using mushroom protein to feed the planet

Nature’s Fynd’s Fy protein can also be found in its recently launched vegan products, including Meatless Breakfast Patties and Dairy-Free Cream Cheese, which are available at select grocery stores in the United States, including some department stores. Whole Foods Market. Along with its unique research to feed astronauts in space, the company aims to use Fy to create sustainable foods that feed people while caring for the planet.

This summer, Nature’s Fynd also launched its unique vegan products at general stores and lodges in Yellowstone National Park, including Canyon Lodge, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Roosevelt Lodge, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Old Faithful Inn, Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Grant Village, bringing the company’s original beginnings have come full circle. Yellowstone played a central role in the origins of the Fy protein. In 2008, Nature’s Fynd co-founder Mark Kozubal, PhD, came across a microbe called Fusarium flavolapis strain—at the park while searching for fungal lifeforms that can survive extreme conditions for NASA. Kozubal isolated the microbe from a sample he collected without harming the environment, and together with the Nature’s Fynd team, he created fermentation technology that produced Fy, a complete animal-free protein.

Nature discovery

“When visiting Yellowstone National Park, it’s important that people see the opportunity to help the planet, not harm. We want our consumers to share our optimism about the future of our planet and preserve the very place they visit,” Karuna Rawal, Marketing Director of Nature’s Fynd, previously told VegNews. “That’s why we’re excited to have our delicious vegan foods made with Fy, our nutritional fungal protein, available to park-goers.”

Raising over $500 million to date, Nature Fynd’s use of microbial fermentation to create meat and dairy analogues is highly efficient because it requires less land, no soil and no slaughter. of animals and can produce protein around the clock, while meat production is tied to animal biology. “There is this growing awareness that microbes are damn effective. They make great protein and they do it very quickly. You don’t have to plant a seed and harvest it six months later, and you can completely control the environment,” Jones said. Told media Foodnavigator-USA. “There’s a revolution going on in protein production and going forward, I don’t think people care whether the ‘cells’ come from cows or from microbes. No one is attached to killing cows, because [Impossible Foods founder] Pat Brown would say, they just like meat.

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