Researchers from Imperial College London published a study in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science reporting success in creating lettuce and tobacco plants capable of producing myoglobin—a protein associated with key characteristics of meat. This experiment marks the first demonstration of this type in higher plants.
The team used genetic engineering methods to insert optimized versions of the porcine myoglobin gene into the plant chloroplasts. Tests showed that the modified varieties remained healthy, passed the genetic change to subsequent generations, and began synthesizing the protein.
The authors suggest that this strategy could expand the possibilities for sustainable production of ingredients for plant-based food. Although the current protein yield is still lower than in real meat, scientists assert that this method can reduce the environmental impact associated with protein production.
The goal of the research was to determine if plants could serve as platforms for producing myoglobin—a protein that plays a vital role in the meat characteristics valued by consumers. For this, lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) were chosen as test subjects.
To introduce the desired trait, researchers employed biolistic transformation, a method involving the use of equipment to directly inject genetic material into plant cell chloroplasts. After embedding the genetic sequences, the plants were cultivated to maturity to check the stability of the modification.
Analyses confirmed that the genetic material remained in the plants and was inherited by offspring. Furthermore, the modified samples maintained fertility and did not show significant damage to the photosynthetic process.
In an interview with ScienceAlert, lead author and researcher Alexia Groff from Imperial College London noted that the plants' behavior surprised the team. She stated: 'Our study is the first to demonstrate that higher plants can stably produce myoglobin, one of the main proteins responsible for many desirable properties of meat.'
Groff also explained to ScienceAlert that one of the unexpected results was the plants' ability to maintain normal development even while producing a heme-dependent protein. The researcher emphasized: 'One of the biggest surprises was how well the plants tolerated the production of myoglobin,' noting no significant disruption to photosynthesis or fertility.
The experiments recorded the production of about 810 milligrams of myoglobin per kilogram of dry weight in lettuce and approximately 800 milligrams per kilogram in tobacco. Despite these figures remaining below the concentration typically found in animal muscle tissue, the authors believe that the greater efficiency of plant cultivation in utilizing natural resources can compensate for this difference.
In the scientific paper, the researchers point out that vegetable farming requires less water and energy and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to livestock farming. Therefore, they believe that in the future, myoglobin production in plants could reach competitive levels per hectare, although they acknowledge that further research is needed to confirm this scenario.
The scientists also note that the protein can be extracted from the leaves for inclusion in plant-based food, or, in the future, the modified vegetables themselves could be consumed directly. Nevertheless, they emphasize that this work is only conceptual proof and depends on further increases in production efficiency.
According to Alexia Groff, the main limitation observed during the work is related to the incomplete incorporation of the heme molecule into the myoglobin produced by the plants. She stated: 'Our results suggest that heme availability is a bottleneck,' adding that future research could improve this step and expand the production of other proteins of interest for nutrition.
