thinkcontext
There already is a multi $B market for the amino acid
methionine, made both through a synthetic process and a
fermented process. It's used to supplement animal feed. So
it's possible to synthesize nutrition economically. And
it's a good idea to focus on animal feed since there's not
the ick reaction to humans eating science project
food.I've read lately about another startup Savor that
aims to make synthetic fats. They can make it in a variety
of forms of it, from cooking oil to something like butter.
They claim they can make it both much cheaper and with a
much smaller carbon footprint than through conventional
agriculture.https://www.hertzfoundation.org/news/hertz-fel
lows-tech-comp...
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vitally3643
Breathless tech reporters have discovered farming
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> cjs_ac
The headline is a reference to the phrase 'bread from
air', which was used to describe the applications of
the Haber process.
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> > mock-possum
Which is in turn doubtless a "mana from heaven"
reference from abrahamic religious mythology
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> forgetfreeman
The last time they discovered farming a big pile of
dumb money got set on fire by vertical farming
startups. Usually SV startup culture attempting to
invade a new industry sector provokes fear and
loathing but in the case of agriculture I deeply enjoy
watching them stick a fork in an outlet recursively.
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RetroTechie
This will claim some % of marketshare for cost reasons
alone.Also there's various startups working on casein
(milk proteins) produced by bacteria, fungi or even algea.
Some solution of sugars + nutrients in, casein rich
product out. That in turn useable for many (all?) things
animal milk is used for today: cheese, yogurt, quark,
skyr, kefir, ice cream etc. Potentially a drop-in
replacement for any of those.Some of this would already be
on the market, if obtaining regulatory approval wasn't so
extremely difficult & time-consuming (partly for good
reasons).
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ericyd
> it's always seemed odd that more libertarian-leaning
states like Texas, Tennessee and Florida don't seem to
oppose the large state handouts they receive for beef, soy
and field cornNothing odd about flagrant hypocrisy, it's
part of the brand
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> dyauspitr
It would be one of their main talking points if the
majority of farmers were black/latino.
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> > tancop
the majority of farm workers are Latino in many
parts of Texas and California. problem is the ones
doing the political lobbying are big time
corporate farm owners who are almost all rich
white and conservative.
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trhway
During WW2 Germany was making edible fats/margarine out of
coal. Similarly, the atmospheric CO2 can be a source of
carbon, especially say on Mars.(another thing back then in
Germany - ramjet engine using coal in a metal basket as a
fuel. The war does put minds to work -
radars/computers/nukes on the Allies side also come to
mind.)
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> krzat
Coal margarine, this protein powder and some vitamins,
I wonder how long human could survive on such "diet".
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> > trhway
Our cats and dogs live on such a diet (until you
learn what the supermarket cat/dogfood really is
and take them off it). Vets have been saying about
all those health problems resulting from that
diet.
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> > raybb
60kg of coal per 1kg of butter. You need about 3kg
of meal for 1kg of chicken. 1.7kf of feed per 1kg
of edible
crickets.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer%E2%
80%93Tropsch_proces...
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> > > thinkcontext
I believe that they made the "butter" out of
the leftovers (paraffin) from making liquid
fuel out of the coal. So, its not a straight
60:1 ratio, you'd need to add some more
products to the equation.
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> > jakzurr
I just think it's pretty amazing.
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> the_sleaze_
> Similarly, the atmospheric CO2 can be a source of
carbon, especially say on Mars.How would this work?
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> > wiml
Hire Mark Watney to grow some potatoes?
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> > vixen99
Carbon fixing takes place via photosynthesis plus
the light independent Calvin cycle. Hence the
extensive greening that's taken place since CO2
elevation. This was first noticed via satellite in
early 1980s. Overall there has been an increase of
around 25-50% of vegetated land area. Productivity
gains have been around 10%. Elevated CO2 has been
the main driver. Plants got to get their (45-50%
of their mass) carbon from somewhere.
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