Electricity-to-Food Bioreactor

Synthetic protein can be produced with the use of clean energy from solar panels, a small quantity of water, carbon dioxide taken from the air, microbes, nitrogen, and trace amounts of minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and zinc. In this bioreactor with hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria, electrolysis takes place by forming a powder made up of at least 50 percent protein and one-fourth of carbohydrates. The protein created through electricity works as a food replacement or even as a high-protein animal feed. Additionally, the texture of the resulting composite: powder, bar, gel, butter, or jerky, can be altered depending on the microbes used in production.

This technology overcomes climate and land area dependence on current animal or plant-based food systems. It could also be helpful in emergencies when supply chains are disrupted. Also, it could be used in space or military missions.