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Slime-Mold Enzyme Unlocks High-Yield Production of Low-Calorie Sugar Tagatose

A Tufts-led proof-of-principle reports lab yields near 95% using engineered E. coli, with further optimization required before industrial use.

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Consumption of sugar is linked to cardiovascular diseases | Image: X
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Scientists Found a Sugar That's Sweet, Low-Calorie, And Doesn't Spike Insulin

Overview

  • Researchers at Tufts, working with Manus Bio and Kcat Enzymatic, inserted a slime-mold enzyme called Gal1P into E. coli to convert glucose into tagatose.
  • The new biosynthetic sequence reached about 95% conversion in lab tests, outperforming earlier routes that delivered roughly 40–77% yields.
  • Tagatose provides about 92% of sucrose’s sweetness with roughly one-third the calories and shows minimal effects on blood glucose and insulin.
  • The sweetener functions as a bulk ingredient that browns in baking, is considered tooth-friendly, and early research points to possible microbiome benefits.
  • Tagatose holds FDA GRAS status, though scale-up, purification, and additional testing are still needed; some estimates project a $250 million market by 2032, and people with fructose intolerance or sensitive digestion may need caution.