There already is a multi $B market for the amino acid methionine, made both through a synthetic process and a fermented process. It's used to supplement animal feed. So it's possible to synthesize nutrition economically. And it's a good idea to focus on animal feed since there's not the ick reaction to humans eating science project food.
I've read lately about another startup Savor that aims to make synthetic fats. They can make it in a variety of forms of it, from cooking oil to something like butter. They claim they can make it both much cheaper and with a much smaller carbon footprint than through conventional agriculture.
The headline is a reference to the phrase ‘bread from air’, which was used to describe the applications of the Haber process.
trhway 3 hours ago [-]
During WW2 Germany was making edible fats/margarine out of coal. Similarly, the atmospheric CO2 can be a source of carbon, especially say on Mars.
(another thing back then in Germany - ramjet engine using coal in a metal basket as a fuel. The war does put minds to work - radars/computers/nukes on the Allies side also come to mind.)
krzat 3 hours ago [-]
Coal margarine, this protein powder and some vitamins, I wonder how long human could survive on such "diet".
trhway 2 hours ago [-]
Our cats and dogs live on such a diet (until you learn what the supermarket cat/dogfood really is and take them off it). Vets have been saying about all those health problems resulting from that diet.
Rendered at 12:48:34 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) with Vercel.
I've read lately about another startup Savor that aims to make synthetic fats. They can make it in a variety of forms of it, from cooking oil to something like butter. They claim they can make it both much cheaper and with a much smaller carbon footprint than through conventional agriculture.
https://www.hertzfoundation.org/news/hertz-fellows-tech-comp...
(another thing back then in Germany - ramjet engine using coal in a metal basket as a fuel. The war does put minds to work - radars/computers/nukes on the Allies side also come to mind.)