Work

HYDROCOW: Engineering Xanthobacter SoF1 for the production of milk proteins

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The increasing world population, overshoot of planetary boundaries and global warming require the development of more environmentally friendly methods of agriculture. Milk protein make up approximately 12% of the globally consumed protein1. The protein beta- lactoglobulin (BLG) is a major component in the fraction of cow and sheep’s milk. It contains more essential and branched chain amino acids than most dietary proteins and is used as an ingredient in many foods, facilitating use in existing food production chains2. The project HYDROCOW aims to engineer the Gram-negative hydrogen oxidizing (HOB) bacterium Xanthobacter SoF1 to become a platform for the secretion of milk proteins where BLG will be used as a pilot protein. This project will help lead the development of a net-zero carbon, animal-free food production process.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18456313

Authors: Bernal Cabas, Margarita, Terpstra, Owen, Billerbeck, Sonja

Institution: University of Groningen

Language: English

Topic: Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Climate action

Open Access status: green

Funder: European Commission