An experiment was made to develop a vegetarian burger having nutritional equivalence of the beef burger, and resemblance in terms of smell, taste and texture. The raw material used are the leguminous plants to extract leghemoglobin which is called plant blood.
First, they sequence the genomes of a number of leguminous plants in the lab. Secondly, they identity the specific genes responsible for the production of leghemoglobin. Thirdly, they insert the native genetic code for heme production in yeast called Pichia pastoris. Fourthly, there was fermentation. The yeast with the code was given glucose. Pichia pastoris produced a frothy red plant blood. Fifthly, this blood was decanted and purified. This leghemoglobin is ready for further use.
To scale up, they use Soy leghemoglobin. They have studied neurochemistry of beef in terms of aroma, sizzle, blood oozing and tried to replicate it. They have used vegetable proteins like coconut oil to give it juicy fat while being made.