Team:UC Davis

Cyantific: UC Davis iGEM 2016

Our Project

Color is innate in food perception and consumers expect vivid colors -- beyond those already present in food. Due to backlash against artificial colorants, some large food companies have pledged to exclusively use natural food colorings, which may result in the disappearance of some brightly colored food. This is a complex transition as there are limited natural options for food pigment and the regulatory framework is evolving.

In this project we demonstrate that the GAF domain of cyanobacteriochrome (CBCR) proteins are a viable natural alternative to artificial food dyes.