Microbial protein as an alternative protein source enabling circular bioeconomy (original) (raw)
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Reviews In Environmental Science And Bio/technology, 2023
The growing global population and higher living standards instantly demand the transition in the direction of a sustainable food system. A substantial section of means and agricultural lands are presently committed to protein-rich feed production to rear livestock for human consumption. Conversely, accelerated farming activities and the food industry have rendered a drastic increase in waste which impair the economic and environmental sustainability of the ecosystem. This situation emerges the need for developing an integrated technology for waste management and to improve sustainability footprints. Microbial protein (MP) production based on renewable electron and carbon sources has the potential as a substitute protein source. MP production for animal feed use is growing fast and is derived from bacteria, algae, and fungi including yeast. MP produced from all types of microbes is currently commercialized and in use. However, novel methods and processes are also under investigation to make MP production more economical and sustainable. Current research on MP has concentrated on the valorization of waste materials by using high protein content-containing microorganisms, which can then be used in animal feed. Using such kind of integrated approach, the agroindustry waste resources upcycling can contribute towards finding sustainable, cheaper, and environment-friendly protein sources. This review first describes the potential waste feedstock for MP production and summarizes the recent progress in the application of MP-producing microorganisms including fungus, yeast, bacteria, and phototrophic Kashif Rasool, Sabir Hussain have contributed equally.
Emergent Proteins-Based Structures—Prospects towards Sustainable Nutrition and Functionality
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The increased pressure over soils imposed by the need for agricultural expansion and food production requires development of sustainable and smart strategies for the efficient use of resources and food nutrients. In accordance with worldwide transformative polices, it is crucial to design sustainable systems for food production aimed at reducing environmental impact, contributing to biodiversity preservation, and leveraging a bioeconomy that supports circular byproduct management. Research on the use of emergent protein sources to develop value-added foods and biomaterials is in its infancy. This review intends to summarize recent research dealing with technological functionality of underused protein fractions, recovered from microbial biomass and food waste sources, addressing their potential applications but also bottlenecks. Protein-based materials from dairy byproducts and microalgae biomass gather promising prospects of use related to their techno-functional properties. However...
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Recent estimates of the UN indicate that the global population will grow to 9-10 billion people by the year 2050 (United Nations, 2015). For physical and mental health, it is important that on average each person can consume some 0.66 g protein/kg body weight per day (World Health Organization, 2002). The current route to provide this protein is mainly through agricultural plant production, using massive amounts of mineral nitrogen fertilizer fabricated by means of the Haber-Bosch process (Bodirsky et al., 2014). This mineral nitrogen is generated as ammonium and may be converted to nitrate prior to use. These forms of reactive nitrogen are, when applied to the soil as fertilizer, taken up by the plants to produce plant proteins. The plant proteins can be directly used as food for the human population, but are, to a large extent, used as feed to produce animal protein. In the latter case, approximately 4% of the Haber-Bosch nitrogen is ultimately consumed as high-value animal proteins. The overall nitrogen efficiency for plant proteins for human consumption is substantially higher, albeit still low, with an efficiency of 14% (Galloway & Cowling, 2002). At present, the need for animal (and hence vegetable) protein containing essential amino acids is increasing because a growing part of the world desires to, and can afford to, consume more protein products and higher quality protein products (Bodirsky et al., 2015; Godfray et al., 2010). The current major supply routes for high quality protein are agri-crops (for about 50% of food protein inputs, particularly wheat, rice and pulses such as soy beans), animal proteins based on agri-crops (another 40%) and finally fish (some 5-10%). These routes are facing limitations. Limitations of the agri-crop route include the massive amount of nitrogen fertilizer used worldwide, that is ∼100 Mton of nitrogen fertilizer, and this is expected to increase to about 150 Mton of by 2050. Indeed the Haber-Bosch process consumes about 1-2% of the total world industrial energy (Erisman et al., 2008) and moreoverdue to the fact that agriculture is subjected to losses by leaching, runoff and denitrification-nitrogen pollution is of major environmental concern (
Microbial Expression Systems and Manufacturing from a Market and Economic Perspective
Innovations in Biotechnology, 2012
These high expectations are merited due for 4 reasons: www.intechopen.com Innovations in Biotechnology 212 1. The unmatched precision in the production and assembly of small and large molecules. This precision of the natural biosynthetic machinery cannot be reached using chemical approaches. 2. The fantastic speed, at which these production systems can reproduce themselves. The reason for this is that bacteria have by far the largest surface-to-volume ratio in the living world, leading to maximal metabolic rates. A single bacterium, weighing about 10-12 grams, grows so fast that its biomass would theoretically reach the mass of the earth in only a few days! 3. The inherent safety of biological systems as metabolic heat makes runaway reactions impossible, when compared to organic chemistry. 4. The biocatalyst and biomass are fully recyclable. Consequently, biotechnology will have an especially high impact in the production of complex chemicals used for pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and specialities (Meyer, 2011). Other promising areas are biopolymers and protein-based novel biomaterials for consumer goods, car parts, medical devices or as support for the 2D and 3D cultivation of tissue and organ replacements. www.intechopen.com Microbial Expression Systems and Manufacturing from a Market and Economic Perspective 213 industrial biotechnology in 2020, which translates into almost 1000 billion Euros. This means that the sales generated by industrial biotechnology will increase by an order of magnitude as the recent estimates of the global sales of industrial biotechnology products vary between 50 and 150 billon Euros, depending on whether biofuels are included or not. There is a consensus that biotechnology will play a much greater role in future manufacturing as it can deliver complex products using economically and ecologically sustainable processes.
Role of novel protein sources in sustainably meeting future global requirements
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2021
Global population growth, increased life expectancy and climate change are all impacting world's food systems. In industrialised countries, many individuals are consuming significantly more protein than needed to maintain health, with the majority being obtained from animal products, including meat, dairy, fish and other aquatic animals. Current animal production systems are responsible for a large proportion of land and fresh-water use, and directly contributing to climate change through the production of greenhouse gases. Overall, approximately 60% of the global protein produced is used for animal and fish feed. Concerns about their impact on both human, and planetary health, have led to calls to dramatically curb our consumption of animal products. Underutilised plants, insects and single-cell organisms are all actively being considered as alternative protein sources. Each present challenges that need to be met before they can become economically viable and safe alternatives ...