Finnish Researchers Just Created Edible Protein Virtually Out of Thin Air

This revolutionary procedure is being hailed for virtually creating food out of thin air.

The process, which was created by Finnish researchers at the Lappeenranta University of Technology and the VTT Technical Research Centre, uses electricity and carbon dioxide to create single-cell protein.

Since the process has zero environmental impacts whatsoever, the protein can be used to feed animals and humans alike without any damage to the earth. Assuming there is a renewable energy source present, the nutrient can be grown without fertilizers, pesticides, or the creation of dangerous greenhouse gases.

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“Some organisms have the ability to utilize hydrogen as a source of energy. Electricity from, for example, solar power, can enable this,” says VTT’s principal researcher Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, according to Yle Uutiset.

“There’s nothing wrong with photosynthesis, but this method benefits from a more direct path to the sun’s power,” Pitkänen says. “In practice, all the raw materials are available from the air. In the future, the technology can be transported to, for instance, deserts and other areas facing famine. One possible alternative is a home reactor, a type of domestic appliance that the consumer can use to produce the needed protein.”

Over the course of the next few years, researchers plan on speeding up the growing process to a single day, rather than two weeks. Additionally, the team hopes to compress the facilities needed to grow 11 pounds (5 kilos) of the nutrient into a small, portable container that is more easily transportable.

Grow Some Positivity: Click To Share (Photo by Lappeenrannan Teknillinen Yliopisto)