Microbes

Step one in protein development is deciding which protein to develop first. Choice of bioreactor, feedstocks and downstream processing are all dependent on the organisms we use and the proteins they produce. This page is very much a work in progress and your input would be hugely welcome.

A note on “closed source” enterprises

We mention a number of commercial “closed source” companies below. We fully support their efforts to bring the benefits of alternative proteins. Commercial competition has brought many excellent innovations to market. Many companies seek to do good, even before seeking profit, however there is a risk that good companies and/or their IP gets acquired by less benevolent enterprises. Shareholder primacy means that some of the world’s poorest, in the most challenging environments may not benefit as much as they could from the innovations that they need most. Open source projects like this serve to benefit all corporations (as they can access our data) while also ensuring our innovations have the potential to benefit all.

Our Protein Shortlist

Algal protein

Through photosynthesis, algae use sunlight to produce sugar and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water. Nitrogen can be metabolised from urea, meaning all major feedstocks are freely available.

As such (and since a number of algae, containing all essential amino acids, are already sold as ‘superfoods’ for human consumption) algal protein may be the quickest win. That said, it may not be as gastronomically appealing as other proteins on our shortlist.

Arthrospira platensis

Spirulina is commonly used as a food supplement, but Spirulina Gnocchi has been proposed by the European Space Agency for Mars Missions. It has a slightly sweet nutty taste. Spirulina is technically a cyanobateria rather than algae, which means the risk of cyanotoxins (e.g. microcystin, alkaloids and BMAA) need to be mitigated.

Chlorella

Chlorella arguably tastes worse than Spirulina. They also have a lower protein concentration and cellulose walls. In their favour: they are single celled, so may be easier to process, and should not produce cyanotoxins.

Biomass fermentation

Biomass fermentation is where the whole microbe (or a dried version) is the product.

Given the relative ease of downstream processing when the whole microbe is used, and their gastronomic potential, biomass fermentation may be the preferred route for open source fermentation.

Fusarium venenatum

Quorn mycoprotein is a well known proprietary product of biomass fermentation. It uses Fusarium venenatum, a filamentous fungi. Quorn’s original patents expired in 2010 but their £30M fermentation towers may prove challenging for open source development.

Sustainable Bioproducts, Inc and 3F Bio Ltd have also submitted Fusarium venenatum GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) notices to the US-FDA.

Harrison Lab have published bioinformatic analysis of Fusarium venenatum genomes on GitHub.

Cupriavidus necator

Solar Foods use Cupriavidus necator to produce their proprietary Solein largely from air. They take carbon dioxide and water vapour from air. They use solar powered hydrolysis to split the water, providing hydrogen which C. necator can use as its energy source. Ammonia is used as the nitrogen source.

Novo-Nutrients and Kiverdi are also thought to use Cupriavidus necator.

Precision fermentation

Precision fermentation is where microbes are used to produce particular chemicals. Insulin and rennet are common cited products of precision fermentation. Fooditive are one company using Precision fermentation to produce casein - the main protein in milk, cheese, yoghurt and similar dairy products.

The separation processes required to extract the end products of precision fermentation will likely make it a more complex process than biomass fermentation. As such we anticipate that the proteins will be more expensive to make and harder to democratise.

Precision fermentation also frequently involves genetic engineering. We anticipate that corporations who invest in the development of custom strains for precision fermentation may be less inclined to open source them.

Other Types of Protein

Cultivated Meat

The Good Food Institute and New Harvest have useful primers on cultivated meat. This may play an important role in mimicking and replacing traditional meat. However, the complexity and cost of doing so, without any significant nutritional benefits over our protein shortlist candidates, mean that it may be best left to well-funded enterprises.

Plant Based Meat

Tofu and Tempeh are examples of ancient meat alternatives. Beanburgers and veggie burgers took the next step in vegetarian fast food. More recently companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have taken great strides in meat alternatives.

We are also inclined to leave plant based meat to well-funded enterprises, as they generally offer no nutritional benefits over the plants they are made from, and naturally requires plants, which have their own downsides - see below.

Tempeh is an Indonesian fermented soybean protein source that is definitely worth trying. Domingo Club have developed an open source Tempeh fermenter for those of us who live in colder climates than Indonesia.

Meat & Plant Protein

Plants are definitely a more sustainable source of protein than highly inefficient traditional meat. Only a fraction of the protein that livestock eats makes its way into the meat that we eat.

Plant-based protein production still requires significantly more land, and in many cases more water, carbon emissions, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. than any of our protein shortlist candidates. Given the inefficiencies of current agribusiness cultivation, this results in significant discharge of nutrients and other environmentally detrimental chemicals into water courses.

There are many improvements that can be made to crop cultivation. For example The Land Institute are doing wonderful work on perennial crops. Many small (and not-so-small) scale farmers and horticulturalists are doing wonderful things around both increasing yields and decreasing environmental impact.

Climate change poses an existential threat, it is essential that we reduce GHG emissions from food production and all other activities. Even if we manage this we still need to adapt to climate change. There are already populated places on earth where natural crop cultivation is impossible. Microbial protein production could be sustainable in all such regions. Our challenge is to ensure that it is economically viable and available to all who need it.