Researchers at Hebrew University say they have engineered a drought-tolerant safflower plant to produce beta-casein, a major milk protein that contributes to cheese’s melting and curdling properties. The team’s work, reported by The Times of Israel, points to a possible route toward producing dairy proteins at scale without relying on livestock.
What the researchers achieved
Scientists initially used the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and then transferred the process to an oil-producing safflower species. During seed development, the engineered plants produced structures resembling milk’s natural protein storage formations and yielded measurable quantities of beta-casein in seed “cream.” The best-performing plants generated beta-casein at levels of about 1.26% of seed content, the researchers said.
“Milk is not produced sustainably,” said Prof. Oded Shoseyov of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, who led the research.
Shoseyov told reporters that livestock generate a substantial share of greenhouse gases — specifically methane emissions — and that transferring milk-protein genes into more efficient organisms could reduce resource inputs and emissions associated with conventional dairy production.
Industry scale and implications
The announcement highlights several potential implications for the dairy sector, food manufacturers and climate policy. Hebrew University researchers noted the global dairy market exceeded $1 trillion last year and projected growth to roughly $1.6 trillion by 2035, driven by population increases and demand for nutrition-rich proteins.
If plant-based production of milk proteins can be scaled economically and meet regulatory and food-safety standards, it could alter supply chains for products such as cheese, yogurt and infant formula. Beta-casein is valued for its role in curd formation, emulsification and some nutritional benefits, including contributions to bone health.
- Climate: Researchers argue a shift away from cow-based milk could reduce methane and other emissions tied to livestock.
- Cost and resources: Plants require different land, water and input profiles than cattle; proponents say this can lower costs and resource use.
- Food processing: Proteins harvested from seeds could be blended or used as functional ingredients in conventional dairy or alternative products.
Scientific and regulatory hurdles
Despite the promising laboratory findings, significant challenges remain before plant-derived milk proteins reach supermarket shelves. Among them are:
- Scaling expression levels in field-grown crops while maintaining consistent yield and quality.
- Developing processing methods to extract, purify and recover proteins from seed matrices at industrial cost and purity standards.
- Meeting food-safety testing, labeling and regulatory approval in markets such as the United States and European Union.
Experts in plant molecular farming and food regulation caution that successful greenhouse or pilot-scale results do not guarantee commercial viability. Factors such as crop stability across environments, potential impacts on oil production in the safflower seed, and consumer acceptance of genetically modified ingredients will influence adoption.
Numbers at a glance
| Figure | Reported Value |
|---|---|
| Top reported plant beta-casein level | 1.26% |
| Share of emissions from livestock (global) | 15% (as cited by researchers) |
| Global dairy market | $1 trillion last year; projected $1.6 trillion by 2035 |
Hebrew University’s work adds to a broader field known as plant molecular farming, in which plants are engineered to produce pharmaceuticals, enzymes or industrial proteins. Proponents say such systems can be more scalable and less resource-intensive than animal-based production. Critics and some consumer groups raise concerns about gene flow, ecological impacts and transparency.
As the science advances, commercial players and regulators will weigh scientific data, supply-chain economics and public acceptance. For now, the safflower findings represent a notable step toward the long-sought goal of producing functional dairy proteins outside of animals — a development that could reshape parts of the global food system if the technical and regulatory barriers can be overcome.
Reporting was based on the Times of Israel account of the Hebrew University research.
