The Korea Times
Kookmin University said Tuesday that the Ministry of Science and ICT had selected a new synthetic biology project aimed at stabilizing future food supplies, backing research to engineer food-grade yeast for precision fermentation. Professor Park Yong-cheol of the university’s department of integrative biotechnology was chosen for the 2026 Basic Research Program’s core research category, overseen by the ministry and supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea. The project focuses on developing a genetic toolkit for Candida utilis, a food-grade yeast, and applying it to produce key food materials through precision fermentation. The initiative aims to establish technologies for the stable domestic production of food ingredients such as proteins and amino acids, while addressing supply instability linked to climate change. Park’s team plans to design modular genetic components to enable genome editing and strain improvement of the yeast, laying the groundwork for scalable and efficient production of food resources. “The goal is to develop core technologies that can ensure a
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