Food out of thin air: How this startup transforms carbon dioxide into protein

'Proton' protein made into fish food. Credit: BioMar
'Proton' protein made into fish food. Credit: BioMar

A few years ago, Dr. Peter Rowe began to explore ways to produce single-cell protein from carbon dioxide (CO2).

A Ph.D. graduate of the United Kingdom’s (U.K.) Nottingham University, Rowe went on to set up the company, Deep Branch, to progress this work, according to Horizon – the European Union research and innovation magazine.

Using similar technology to producing enzymes or brewing beer, Deep Branch’s process involved culturing microbes in a bioreactor, said Rowe. Together with hydrogen as an energy source, the carbon dioxide is fed into a fermentation tank with the selected organisms. Once the fermentation is complete, the resulting material is dried to a powder, called Proton, which contains around 70% protein.

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Its product contains more protein than many soybean meals, says Deep Branch. Furthermore, the single-cell protein is more sustainable than conventional proteins used in livestock and aquaculture feeds.

Furthermore, for Rowe, regional food security is an important consideration.

“Europe is almost completely reliant on South America for the protein we use to feed our animals,” he said. “There’s a high risk of extreme events, geopolitics, or even weather, disrupting that.”

He sees Deep Branch’s technology contributing to a more sustainable, circular economy.

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