Interesting science stuff, NASA, and fake meat from Yellowstone hot springs

[masraum]

I thought this was interesting.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-a-microbe-from-yellowstones-hot-springs-could-help-feed-the-world-180983872/
(not the full article, for the whole thing, click ^the link^)

n 2009, NASA researcher Mark Kozubal stooped down by the side of a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. On the harsh acidic water, he could see that a microbe was thriving: A mat of algae had formed on the surface. Carefully taking a spatula, he scooped up a fingernail-sized piece of the algal mat and placed it into a sterile tube.

Kozubal was leading a team of scientists who had been tasked with finding life in this extreme environment filled with steam vents and hot springs. It was research that could prove invaluable for space missions to the moons of Saturn or to Mars. But little did Kozubal know, the microbe he was carrying would be the genesis of one of the world’s most innovative food companies on Earth.

This wasn’t the first time a miracle microbe had been found at Yellowstone. In 1966, scientists found the heat-loving bug Thermus aquaticus that became the foundation of PCR tests. An enzyme from the robust bug can handle the thermal cycles of heating and cooling used in the process of copying DNA.

Kozubal finished his doctorate at Montana State University in 2010, but he didn’t forget about the microbe. He continued to study it. At first, he thought this extremophile could become the source of a new biodiesel, but as gas was so cheap in the United States at that time, it would have been hard to be competitive. The microbe came from the fungus family, so Thomas Jonas, a former president of a packaging company with an interest in science, who Kozubal met through friends, suggested they turn their focus to food.

“I said, ‘This is a pretty extraordinary microorganism. Let’s think big about what this can be,’” Jonas says. “Looking at the big problems in the world, energy is one of them, but food is another.”

As Sam Barkley, chief development officer for Yellowstone Forever, the park’s official nonprofit partner, notes, Yellowstone National Park has more than 10,000 thermal features, making it the largest concentration of active geysers in the world. “What’s interesting about this organism is we haven’t found it in any other springs,” says Jonas. “We didn’t even find it upstream or downstream from where Mark found it. The chemistry changes within a few meters.”

The scientists took a cell of the fungus, placed it in water and fed it sugar to help grow and multiply, which it did within a matter of hours. They then boosted the process by placing it in a bioreactor, and once they had enough, they poured it into catering trays with more water, sugar and salts. The acidic environment in the tray helped the microbe thrive but kept other bacteria at bay. Within three days, the organism turned into a mat of complete protein, meaning it featured all nine essential amino acids needed for human nutrition. Each tray was the equivalent in protein to 25 chickens.

What is groundbreaking about the protein is its simplicity. They can grow Fy, a form of mycelium, in low-tech metal catering trays, and making it uses less land and water and releases less greenhouse gas emissions than beef production does, says Jonas. A January 2024 study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, reported that novel foods such as mycelium yielded substantial reductions in environmental pressures due to land use.

The startup founders also proved that this microbe could be used in fine dining when chef Eric Ripert served diners vegan desserts made with Fy at his three-Michelin-star restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City.

I thought this was a fascinating article. I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but this piqued my curiosity. A couple of weeks ago, I was in a WF and saw the breakfast patties in the freezer section so I bought a box ($4.29 or something like that for 6 patties). Today the missus finally got around to cooking some of them. They are light in color like pork. They taste like breakfast patties. THe consistency is a little different because this isn't meat, fat, gristle, etc... all ground up, but it is surprisingly close to a breakfast patty, maybe if the breakfast patty was more finely ground. It's not that unusual to find "unchewable" bits in breakfast patties that are, I assume, cartilage, bone, gristle.

All in all, I'd say that they were pretty good. Probably one of the better or maybe best breakfast sausage patty alternatives out there.

I was curious, so I compared the nutritional info between these and Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage patties.
Fynd is orange, and Jimmy Dean is beige.
less than half the calories, little less sodium, nearly 50% more protien.
Fynd

Pork

Turkey


If I felt the need to get rid of meat in my diet or watch my calories or cholesterol, this would probably be one of the way that I'd do it.

[Arizona_928]

At first, he thought this extremophile could become the source of a new biodiesel, but as gas was so cheap in the United States at that time, it would have been hard to be competitive

Small nugget…

[JackDidley]

The Jimmy Dean you have is turkey. I wonder how that compares to pork. I tried the turkey a couple times. Needs to be hot. Not so good when it cooled down.

[Zeke]

Years back I had a meatless sausage patty substitute at a boutiquey type of breakfast cafe in downtown Long Beach. (I don't go into downtown anymore due to the negative environment.) I did this not because I like sausage, I don't particularly. But it tasted just like sausage. I ate it out of curiosity. Haven't eaten anything like this since. This was at least 10 years ago.

[harvardma]

The labels show the Fynd has 11g of protein and the Jimmy Dean has 13g. Calories are 120 vs 130 so I don’t understand your comment about half the calories and 50% more protein. Maybe my reading comprehension is poor.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by harvardma

The labels show the Fynd has 11g of protein and the Jimmy Dean has 13g. Calories are 120 vs 130 so I don’t understand your comment about half the calories and 50% more protein. Maybe my reading comprehension is poor.

I doubt it.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by harvardma

The labels show the Fynd has 11g of protein and the Jimmy Dean has 13g. Calories are 120 vs 130 so I don’t understand your comment about half the calories and 50% more protein. Maybe my reading comprehension is poor.

The first label that I found and read on my phone for Jimmy Dean said it had 8g (was for pork), then when I posted, I ASSuMEd that I had found the same nutritional info, but apparently, found the info for Turkey sausage.

Here you go.

[harvardma]

Thanks. I’m going to give them a try.

[flatbutt]

Are you sure that they didn't sneak in a bit of Soylent under a different name?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Are you sure that they didn't sneak in a bit of Soylent under a different name?

They probably did, and that would explain why it tasted like pork sausage.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by masraum

They probably did, and that would explain why it tasted like pork sausage.

We have THE BEST breakfast sausage here .... anything else is just ....

I don't think I've ever had amything else .

Made locally forever ... delivered fresh in their little green trucks ....

Nope .... I can't tell ya!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by KC911

We have THE BEST breakfast sausage here .... anything else is just ....

I don't think I've ever had amything else .

Made locally forever ... delivered fresh in their little green trucks ....

Nope .... I can't tell ya!

I get some great pan sausage from local farm that we buy at the farmer's market. I don't eat a ton of breakfast sausage, but when I do, that's usually it. Sometimes I form it into patties and cook it, sometimes I cook it like pan sausage and then mix it into scrambled eggs.

I was curious about the stuff that's the main subject of the thread after reading the article about the source.