German researchers have for the first time developed a way to transform CO2, hydrogen, and oxygen into protein and vitamins B9 at approximately one-third of the energy cost previously required. It is an innovative solution to the increasing need for food production worldwide while being a more sustainable option compared to traditional farming practices. Using the renewable resource power, microorganisms in this two-stage bioreactor produce a yeast rich in essential nutrients — which may one day be added to diets around the world.
The Science Behind the Bioreactor System
A research team led by Largus Angenent of the University of Tübingen developed the two-stage bioreactor system at the heart of this new approach. It is a system that, to a degree, works off of the same principles as beer fermentation but with an important twist. They do not give the microbes sugar, but gases and acetate (an associated compound to vinegar).
First Stage: Bacterial Conversion of CO2 and Hydrogen
In the first step, CO2 plus hydrogen is converted to acetate by a bacterium known as Thermoanaerobacter kivui. Doing so effectively converts the waste gases into an important nutrient source for subsequent yeast.
Second Stage: Yeast Production of Protein and Vitamins
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae — more commonly known as baker’s yeast consumes the acetate along with oxygen to produce both protein and vitamin B9 (also known as folate).
It’s all run off a renewable energy system, with hydrogen and oxygen created via wind or solar power through water electrolysis.
Nutritional Advantages: Rich in Protein and Vitamin B9
These results are very exciting and promising of what we can achieve through a bioreactor system. The yeast is not only high in protein but also a vitamin B9 powerhouse, an essential nutrient found in all living cells.
Protein: Only 85 grams of the yeast gives 61% of the required daily protein. Beef provide a measly 34% and pork gets you just 30%; only a little more than typical fish at 25%. This makes the yeast a competitive alternative to animal-based protein sources.
Vitamin B9: Yeast grown on acetate synthesizes about the exact same amount of vitamin B9 as yeast grown on sugar. Only 6 grams of the yeast covers the recommended daily intake of this essential vitamin, making it a powerful micronutrient source.
Environmental and Global Impacts
The potential impact of this technology is significant for many pressing global problems, from cutting carbon emissions to reducing food insecurity.
Environmental Sustainability: The bioreactor system it better for the environment by converting CO2 and renewable energy into food. It also eliminates the need vast amounts of arable land, which moreover provides new prospects in respect to land conservation.
Food Security: With a population of close to 10 billion by the year 2050, sustainable food production is one of the most important problems. This technology provides a way outside the bounds of traditional agriculture, especially in places where the land is not very fertile. Further, the rich in nutrient yeast has a potential to tackle malnutrition and food shortage in emerging countries.
Contribution to Public Health: Being high in proteins and vitamin B9, this yeast is powerful enough to combat global nutritional deficiencies. In addition, it offers a non-GMO, vegan and sustainable food component in tune with the contemporary dietetic tastes.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Nonetheless, there is still a long way to go before it appears on our supermarket shelves.
Processing for Safety: Yest have some chemical substances that, if overconsumed, would lead to gout.Researchers are working on processing methods to remove these compounds, ensuring the yeast is safe for regular consumption.
Scaling Up Production: The primary effort will be to further finer and optimize the production process when reaching for industrial scale. This involves performing economic and technical analysis to ensure that the system is feasible when scaled up.
Consumer Acceptability: Market research is required to know the consumer response to a microbially-derived novel protein source. The fact that the finished product is non-Gmo and vegan could potentially generate interest from health conscious and eco-aware consumers.
Despite these challenges, “The fact that we can make vitamins and protein at the same time at a pretty high production rate without using any land is exciting.” as Largus Angenent said.