An enzyme that breaks down the amino acid asparagine into aspartic acid and ammonia, famous in food technology for preventing acrylamide formation. Since acrylamide forms when asparagine reacts with sugars during high-heat cooking, treating potato or cereal doughs with asparaginase beforehand removes the precursor and can cut acrylamide levels dramatically without changing taste or texture. The food industry uses fungal-derived versions as a processing aid in fries, chips, biscuits, and crispbreads. Medicine uses a bacterial asparaginase as a chemotherapy drug for leukemia, exploiting cancer cells’ dependence on circulating asparagine. One enzyme thus serves two masters: in the clinic it starves tumors, in the factory it makes fried and baked foods safer, both by removing the same amino acid.