Air Protein
Around 155 million people are facing food insecurity. Over 35 million Americans are living in a food desert, meaning they aren’t getting access to the right type of food. By 2050, we’re going to need 70% more food, and right now we only have about 5% more land to do that. So, how can make food that can feed everyone and is sustainable? The answer, going back to the basics!
Introducing Air Protein
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, let’s take a look at the company that is revolutionizing the way we get meat!
Air protein is a Berkeley-based startup working towards the goal of creating a sustainable food source. As a newer competitor to the meatless meat market, they raised $32 million in their Series A funding in January, with investors like Google Ventures!
The founder and CEO, Lisa Dyson, has worked with Fortune 100 companies doing consulting and has conducted research in physics at Berkeley, MIT, Standford, and more!
The chief scientist and founder, Dr. John Reed, is an expert in biological and chemical energy storage and conversion. He has years of research within the field of carbon capture.
Originally, the start-up started in 2015 with the goal of capturing carbon from the air to stop climate change. After considering the effects of climate change on people, the start-up transitioned to making meatless meat with the goal of reducing the burden on the planet.
Now, they are using technology developed by NASA in the 1960s to create protein from the air using microbes!
The Science Behind the Company
Does making meat out of air sound like science fiction? Well, as crazy as it sounds the idea has actually been around for years!
In the 60s and 70s, NASA realized they needed to find a way to make food in space for the Apollo program. That’s when they got the idea to use a bacteria called hydrogenotrophs. Hydrogentrophs metabolize hydrogen, and while they do that they take CO2 from the air and turn it into protein.
Making a few changes to the original designs by NASA, Air Protein was able to create a method that allows food to be made in low resource and low space areas.
So, how does this work? While, there are three main steps/components to creating protein from the air: the inputs, growth and time, and protein!
Inputs
Obviously, the protein doesn’t just come out of nowhere. Our air contains minerals that are vital to support life, and allow us to make protein! There are 2 inputs for this process: the carbon source and the energy source.
Let’s start with the carbon source. In order to grow, plants take in CO2 from the air and use carbon. When we eat plants, we get this carbon, which is vital for our survival as carbon-based humans. Similarly, air protein flour takes in the CO2 we breathe out and uses it to provide nutrition.
Next, we have the energy source. In order to survive we need to have power, right? So while plants get energy from the sun, air protein gets its power from the sun or geothermal energy during the production process. This energy can then be used to split the water molecules and separate the hydrogen for the hydrogenotrophs, allowing the process to begin!
Growth and Time
Ok, so now we have all our parts, how does our air turn into protein? So while crops require land to grow, air protein actually doesn’t need land, making it a good solution for low-space places.
First, the inputs are placed in a fermentation vessel, kind of like the type you make yogurt in. As the hydrogenotrophs metabolize hydrogen, they absorb CO2 and release amino acids (proteins). After a few hours, the process is done, and the protein is ready!
Protein
Finally, we have our protein! The final product retrieved from the fermentation vessel is a mixture of oil and protein. The oil is abstracted, creating a flour-like substance with 80% protein!
The flour can then be incorporated into recipes to create meatless meat, or to provide more protein to a meal. And that’s it! Pretty easy, right?!
Benefits
I’m sure you’re thinking “Well this sounds great, but is it actually worth it?” And the answer is yes!
Air protein uses 1.5 million times less land than beef, 15000 times less water, doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases and can be scaled to fit whatever situation it needs to.
With tons of protein, air protein also provides a lot of different types of vitamin B and is processed without any chemicals or GMOs!
Food insecurity is a major issue for people across the world, especially those in cramped environments with little resources. As mentioned before, the fermentation vessels are easy to scale and provide a vertical solution for those limited with space. This means we can bring healthy food to those who need it most!
So, are you ready for the future of meat- air protein?!
TL;DR
- Air Protein is a Berkeley-based start-up with the goal to create a sustainable source of protein.
- Using technology created by NASA in the 60s, air protein is created during the metabolism process of hydrogenotrophs.
- Air protein is scaleable and packed full of nutrients, making it the perfect solution to the food crisis!
Want to learn more?
Check out the Air Protein website
Check out Lisa Dyson’s talk on using NASA’s design for the future of food
Read the Forbes article Air Protein is featured in here
If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I am a 15-year-old who is interested in regenerative medicine, biocomputing, and public health. If you want to see me continue to grow and 10X myself, sign up for my newsletter here!
