Mette Lübeck

My research focuses on developing sustainable biorefining concepts utilising agricultural biomasses for creation of alternative proteins to substitute animal-based proteins. My expertise in biorefining has developed for more than 15 years and with fungal biotechnology for more than 25 years. Through this, I have discovered fungi as excellent production hosts with great potential for degradation of plant biomasses and for producing of various products through fermentation. My research includes: 1) “Green biorefining” of green leaves (e.g. from clovers, lucerne, grasses, cassava, spinach) into soluble non-green human-grade proteins with interesting functionalities (e.g. foaming and gelling). 2) Development of precision fermentation using filamentous fungal cell factories by CRISPR-based metabolic engineering to produce food proteins and new alternative substrates based on upcycling of side-streams from agriculture and industry. 3) Development of food ingredients by Solid State Fermentation using filamentous edible fungi combined with solid residues from agri-industrial production.