Development of novel Penicillium strains optimised for mould-ripened plant-based cheese manufacturing

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_Penicillium_ fungi are used in mould-ripened dairy cheese production. Frequently used strains include _P. roqueforti_ and _P. camemberti_. These are typically commercial strains purchased from a select few dedicated strain manufacturers that service the global market or are historical strains that have been cultured by the dairy or cheesemakers themselves.Plant-based (vegan) cheese represents the fastest growing sector of the global cheese market. However, existing commercial _Penicillium_ strains optimised for dairy milk frequently give poor results on plant-based substrates, producing high levels of mycotoxins, driven by the relatively high carbohydrate content of plant-based substrates (as compared to dairy milk). This limits the quality and variety of vegan cheeses available.There is an unmet need for optimised _Penicillium_ strains exhibiting improved and novel phenotypic traits to support the production of 'authentic' mould-ripened vegan cheesemaking.Myconeos are a UK SME exploiting IP developed with previous Innovate UK Smart funding. They have developed innovative GM-free methods for expanding genetic diversity in fungal strains. This is based on the discovery of a mechanism to induce sexual reproduction of 'asexual fungal strains', enabling natural breeding alongside established strain development techniques.Using a mixture of angel investment, private equity, and the previous Innovate UK Smart award, Myconeos have created entirely novel strains of _P. roqueforti, P. biforme,_ and _P. camemberti_. These have been proven to create innovative flavour and colour profiles for dairy cheese manufacturers and are being commercialised.Myconeos will now create novel _Penicillium_ strains optimised for plant-based cheesemaking. These strains will exhibit higher cellulase and amylase activity (for plant and starch-based substrates) and higher protease activity (for nut-based substrates) to create higher-quality vegan cheeses. The project outputs create an unparalleled opportunity to expand the UK's cheese manufacturing industry, and further support the UK's first cheesemaking fungal strain developer to create another unique market offering.