Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Genetically Altered Mushroom Solves Laundry Problem

Scientists may have solved the problem of rogue red socks turning white washing pink - with a genetically altered mushroom.

Researchers at the American company Novo Nordisk Biotech in Davis, California, have turned the inkcap mushroom into an environmentally friendly laundry aid, they report in the April issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Scientists already knew that the peroxidase enzyme in the inkcap mushroom is able to remove dyes from fabrics that have leached out into other fabrics, and to prevent dyes transferring to other clothes. But until now it has only been able to do this at low temperatures, not in the hot soapy environment of a washing machine.

Yet the American team led by Joel Cherry has now altered the enyzme so that it remains active in the washing machine even at high temperatures.

They first altered the gene at different points in its structure. They then planted the different variations in yeast cells which then grew different peroxidas genes.

The altered enzyme producing the best result was 174 times more stable at high temperatures than the mushroom's original enzyme.

Peroxidase enzymes are widely found in the natural environment. They are also found in horseradish roots and fig tree juice.