- Stage of development
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Tested in vivo for bread and fruit juice preservation. In vitro effectivity tested against phytopathogens, human pathogens and mycotoxigenic fungi
- Intellectual property
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Biological material
- Intended collaboration
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Licensing and/or co-development
- Contact
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Marc EscamillaVice-presidency for Innovation and Transferutc@iata.csic.escomercializacion@csic.es
- Reference
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CSIC/ME/028
Additional information
#Food technology
#Health
#Food quality and safety
#Therapy
#Peptide / Protein
#Infectious disease
Penicillium chrysogenum strain producing the antifungal PdAfpB
A Penicillium chrysogenum strain has been modified to produce high yields of the antifungal protein PdAfpB, enabling the possibility to use this protein in agricultural, food and pharma industries.
- Market need
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There is a growing demand for natural preservatives to replace the artificial additives currently used in the food industry. This shift is driven both by evolving regulatory restrictions and by consumers’ increasing concern about food safety. In this context, fungal contamination represents a major threat, as it can cause food spoilage and pose serious risks to human health through the production of mycotoxins. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for new, safe, and effective natural antifungal agents that stay active during processing and storage, and that are compatible with more sustainable production systems.
- Proposed solution
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A new strain of Penicillium chrysogenum has been obtained by incorporating the gene encoding the antifungal protein PdAfpB from Penicililum digitatum. This strain, classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe-FDA), can be used as an efficient biofactory for large-scale production of PdAfpB.
This protein shows strong activity against fungi, causing spoilage of bakery products and fruit juices, making it a promising natural food biopreservative, with additional potential applications in the agricultural and biomedical sectors.
- Competitive advantages
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- Penicillium chrysogenum’s GRAS status facilitates its industrial use.
- Obtention of high yields of PdAfpB comparing with other biofactories tested.
- PdAfpB protein is released into the culture medium, facilitating its collection, and the purification process is fast and simple.
- Production can be escalated into a bioreactor, facilitating its industrialization.
- PdAfpB can be obtained from agri-food waste, contributing to circularity and to the sustainability of industrial bioprocesses.