Biotechnology research advances circular economy and protein production

Researchers and industry experts are advancing biotechnological methods to support a circular economy. At the Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences, the third symposium on industrial biotechnology will focus on the “Waste2Value” (W2V) project. This regional initiative explores how microorganisms can solve challenges in the plastics and recycling industries by converting waste into value.

In a related development, a research team from the University of Tübingen has published a study in the journal PNA regarding the economic viability of industrial-scale “power-to-protein” plants. The proposed two-step process uses bacteria to reduce carbon dioxide into acetate while producing folic acid (Vitamin B9), followed by using baker's yeast to convert that acetate into protein.

The study suggests that a bioreactor with a volume of 1,750 cubic meters could produce 12.9 kilotonnes of enriched yeast annually. This output could provide 5.6 million people with their recommended daily dose of folic acid and 5% of their protein needs. Professor Lars Angenent noted that the economic feasibility of this method depends heavily on electricity prices, particularly for the electrolysis required to provide hydrogen.