At YeasyDye, we're pioneering the next generation of food colourings using engineered yeasts. Our innovative approach leverages the power of chromoproteins—naturally occurring proteins that emit vibrant colors under normal light conditions. By harnessing these proteins, we aim to provide a safer, more sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to traditional food colourings.

What Are Chromoproteins?

Chromoproteins are a subset of fluorescent proteins that cover a wide emission spectrum, emitting visible light in various colours when exposed to normal light. [1] These proteins consist of a chromotropic prosthetic group bound to another protein, similar to how heme binds to hemoglobin. Recent research has shown that chromoproteins can be fused with carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs), enabling them to adhere to surfaces such as textiles to produce a colouring effect. [2]

The Power of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Our food colouring production process utilises Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of yeast known for its ease of transformation and well-understood secretory pathways. By incorporating specific signal peptides into the plasmid, we can control the excretion of proteins, making S. cerevisiae an ideal microbial engine for our purposes.

How It Works

Engineering the Yeast: We use a set of established plasmids to precisely control the production of chromoproteins. Each chromoprotein gene is activated by one of four titratable inducers (vanillic acid, xylose, aTc, IPTG), allowing us to create a full spectrum of colours—akin to an RGB system used in LED screens. [3]

Production Process: Our engineered yeast is grown in a bioreactor with a specific growth medium and inducers. The yeast then secretes the chromoproteins, which are easily extractable from the medium.

Cost-Effective and Sustainable: This method allows for easy and local production of any dye required for food colouring, making it much cheaper than current production methods. Additionally, the process is "portable," as it can repurpose old bioreactors, and the inducers used are inexpensive sugars.

Safety Measures

Sterilisation

We prioritize safety in every step of our process. All products are autoclaved to ensure that any possible GMO yeast is completely eradicated. This sterilisation process effectively kills off all microorganisms, ensuring that our food colorings are safe for consumption.

Stability

Our chromoproteins are designed to retain their vibrant colours even after exposure to high temperatures. According to research (see BBa_K2027033), chromoproteins maintain their colour integrity when returned to room temperature, ensuring consistent quality in the final product.

Purification

To further ensure the purity and safety of our food colourings, we use advanced techniques such as ligand-binding and size exclusion chromatography to isolate the chromoproteins. This ensures that only the highest quality, pure proteins are used in our products.