Special Edition: Alternative Proteins
Feed from air?
However, not all alternative proteins need to start with bug life, a group of researchers in at the Technical Research Center of Finland are looking generating protein from air – or at least from methane gas.
The process uses methanotropic bacteria and a gas fermenter to generate biomass that offers a protein content of about 60%. The process also uses animal manure as an input. More details of the project here.
The team is not the only looking to generate feed from gas however, California-based Calysta has partnered with Cargill to produce a feed protein from methane. More on their initial work is available here.
The partnering companies announced the start of a US production plant in Memphis, Tennessee in November.