A Novel Mycoprotein Candidate: Neurospora intermedia FF171 from Pu-Erh Tea with Genomics-Based Safety Profiling

With the rapid growth of the population and the economy, environmental and health issues caused by animal protein consumption have received increasing attention. The world urgently needs alternative proteins as a way out, and microbial proteins have tremendous potential as sustainable protein sources. In this study, Neurospora intermedia FF171 was isolated and identified from Pu-erh fermented tea. FF171 can rapidly produce substantial mycelial biomass using a sugar byproduct as a carbon source. The combination of sugarcane molasses and corn gluten meal as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, resulted in a dry biomass of 9.10 ± 0.20 g/L and a protein yield of 6.16 ± 0.11 g/L (67.48% protein content). FF171 exhibits genetic stability, and no mycotoxins were detected in the biomass. Furthermore, the strain’s genome was sequenced and annotated. Bioinformatics analysis, including comparison of specific sequences with reference strains in the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) database, was conducted to assess potential toxicity, allergenicity, and antimicrobial resistance. The results revealed no virulence or pathogenic factors and no antibiotic resistance genes, while the risk of triggering allergic reactions was minimal. Taken together, these findings suggest that Neurospora intermedia FF171 is a safe and promising candidate for mycoprotein production, with strong potential as a future alternative protein source.