The PLANTOMYC consortium is pleased to share the successful completion of Deliverable 1.3: Bioinformatic Characterisation and Selection of Fungal Species, led by our partners at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute. This marks an important milestone in advancing our understanding of the potential of fungi in sustainable protein production.

As part of this work package, our team performed an extensive bioinformatics analysis to identify fungal species capable of efficiently converting selected agro-industrial side streams and producing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a bioactive compound associated with health benefits.

Key steps in this process included:
– Extracting the genomes of 31 pre-selected fungal species from NCBI and Mycocosm databases.
– Conducting comparative analyses of CAZy profiles across these species.
– Predicting genes involved in GABA biosynthesis.

From this in-depth analysis, six fungal species were selected as candidates for further experimental validation. In accordance with the Nagoya Protocol and strain availability, 20 fungal strains will be ordered from the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute for upcoming laboratory studies.

It is important to note that the presence of relevant genes in fungal genomes does not necessarily imply active expression. Gene and enzyme activity may depend on specific growth conditions, and further experiments will be carried out to confirm expression levels.

These bioinformatics insights have greatly supported the selection of promising fungal strains for the next steps of the PLANTOMYC project. This work brings us closer to developing alternative protein sources that combine plant and fungal components, contributing to healthier, more sustainable food systems.