WILLAGRI
Gaseous fermentation, a promising technology for producing protein without agricultural land, nevertheless faces challenges related to economic viability, sources of “green” inputs and investor skepticism. Aerbio, a Danish startup, is developing a non-GMO bacterium that oxidizes hydrogen to produce rich proteins, but faces challenges in localization and cost of gaseous inputs. The carbon dioxide sources tested by Aerbio include biomass power plants, refineries and geological processes, but direct air capture remains expensive. The production of “green” hydrogen is not yet ready on a large scale, pushing Aerbio to turn to “blue” sources such as natural gas with carbon capture. The design of bioreactors is crucial to maximizing efficiency and minimizing the risk of contamination, as Aerbio seeks to simplify systems to reduce costs. The technology has to compete directly with other high-quality proteins on the market, as few customers are willing to pay a premium for green proteins. Recent trials show that Aerbio’s proteins outperform other single-celled proteins in terms of digestibility and protein content, but investors still need to be convinced of their uniqueness.
Source : AFN