Solar-powered microbes to feed the world?

International research team shows that protein from microbes uses a fraction of the resources of conventional farming Microbes have played a key role in our food and drinks - from cheese to beer - for millennia but their impact on our nutrition may soon become even more important. The world is facing growing food challenges as the human population continues to increase alongside its demand for resource intensive animal products. If these needs are to be met solely by conventional agriculture, the environmental cost will be huge. An international research team led by a Göttingen University alumnus has now shown that using solar-panels to produce microbial protein - which is rich not just in proteins but also in other nutrients - is more sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly than growing conventional crops. This method uses solar energy, land, nutrients, and carbon dioxide from the air. Their research was published in PNAS. Using computer simulations drawing directly from laboratory results, the researchers modelled large-scale microbial food production facilities, which use solar energy, air, water, and nutrients to grow microbes.