Technological innovation is not the biggest hurdle for microbial foods

Microbial food requires a fraction of the land area, water, and growing resources, yet can feed millions, perhaps billions, of people. In a new perspective research paper, a team of engineers focuses on a technology that could make this foreign-sounding fare a viable part of a climate-resilient future.

The range of microbial foods is already wide and diverse, and there is much to be said in the research community about their promise in an uncertain agricultural future. However, there has been limited effort to consider how feasible it is to catalog these foods all in one place and produce them on an industrial scale. That's where new research comes in. Written by experts on recent research. natural microbiology This paper has considered these already available food types and what is needed to expand their production and dissemination.

First, their research reveals how widespread microbial foods are already in our lives, with many companies using them to produce nutritional compounds and food biomass. . For example, beta-lactoglobulin and ovalbumin (milk and egg proteins) can be produced using genetically engineered bacteria and fungi, such as yeast strains. Komagataela Fafi, to produce livestock-free additives needed for food production. On the other hand, many oil species, which are microorganisms known for their natural oil-producing properties, are being exploited to produce alternative oils and fats. Combined with synthetic biology, the fatty acid chains produced by these and other microbes can be tailored to create different types of fat substitutes for cocoa butter, palm oil, and even beef fat. Masu.

The most promising are protein-rich bacteria, algae, fungi, and yeast, whose actual biomass can be harvested in the form of single-cell proteins to make meat substitutes, ice cream, and mayonnaise.

Of course, these microorganisms do not feed on thin air (of course, some microorganisms do, but we will talk about that later). However, the researchers' review reveals a huge opportunity to recycle waste, such as food leftovers, as feedstock for microorganisms. production, excess sugar from sugarcane production, oat and potato by-products, and wood chips. One interesting example is something called oncom, which is formed by a filamentous fungus that feeds on waste products from soybean and peanut oil production, forming a staple food similar to tempeh commonly eaten in Indonesia .

By completely cutting things off from the Earth, some microorganisms may be able to thrive on the carbon dioxide in the air. However, this process can be energy-intensive and costly, requiring direct air capture techniques or other techniques that release carbon, which is a critical feedstock for hungry microorganisms. Another available option is to use renewable energy to reduce CO2 and produce formic acid. Formic acid has already been used successfully as a raw material for growing plants to form proteins. C. murderer A type of soil bacteria that helps produce meat and fish substitutes.

The researchers found that waste from agriculture and other sites, which often contains excess ammonia, is used to produce feed nutrients such as nitrogen, another important factor for microbial nutrition and growth. It once again emphasizes the possibility of bypassing the flow of goods. Additionally, they can also exploit the potential of other microorganisms, such as algae, many of which naturally produce phosphorus, and numerous nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which can themselves serve as a food source for other food-producing microorganisms. can.

Microbial foods may seem like a foreign concept, but new research puts more focus on microbial foods and how many types, ingredients and techniques already exist to make them a reality. has become clear. In fact, the authors believe the bigger hurdle is not the ability to make food from microbes, but getting people to eat it. Consumer preferences and regulatory approval are the two major hurdles they identify in distributing microbial foods that could take time to resolve.

In the meantime, they have some ideas about where to go next. Importantly, they believe there are significant opportunities to: alternative animal feed From crops containing microbial nutrients. It could be a gateway to getting it into the human diet and a way to take a lot of pressure off the land.

They believe that “microbial foods” also have inherent negative effects that require rebranding. Gain wider acceptance by communicating to consumers that these are just extensions of many of the familiar things we already eat, such as fermented foods, live cultures, probiotics, and alternative meat proteins. A path may be opened.

Choi La Al. “From sustainable ingredients to microbial food” natural microbiology. 2024.

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