Silicon Valley Attempts To Make Real Vegan Cheese
A group of "biohackers" from Silicon Valley are raising money money on Indiegogo for a project to create cheese that vegans will love. The name of their product is "Real Vegan Cheese" and the scientists behind it are attempting to genetically modify yeast to produce casein, the protein in cows' milk. The process to make this "cheese" combines the modified casein with water, a vegan sugar that is comparable to lactose, and plant-derived fat. Through this process, the biohackers hope to create a realistic "vegan milk" that can then be turned into cheese.
The project is in very early stages, and success is obviously not guaranteed. However, the scientists behind it believe that if it does work, the cheese will be a huge improvement on the soy- and nut-derived cheeses that are currently available. The main point of the project is to make it easier for people to choose veganism as a permanent lifestyle because the scientists believe that it is the most ethically and environmentally responsible diet.