Tag: Biomass

With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the demand for sustainable protein sources is soaring, putting immense pressure on traditional food systems. This has brought single-cell protein (SCP), or microbial biomass, into focus as a promising, alternative solution to address protein deficiency and food security challenges.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most of the fuel ethanol produced around the world is made by fermenting the sugar found in plant starches. Yes, ethanol is made from carbohydrates, which serve as the primary feedstock for the fermentation process that yields this important biofuel.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. This massive amount of discarded organic material raises a crucial question: can food be used as fuel to power our homes, vehicles, and industries? The answer is yes, particularly when focusing on food waste rather than edible crops.

According to the US Department of Energy, about 45% of U.S. corn is currently used for ethanol production, highlighting corn's significant role in the biofuel industry. But while corn is a direct energy resource in this context, the answer is more complex, involving intense debates over sustainability and efficiency.

Approximately 90% of energy is lost as metabolic heat during each transfer between trophic levels. This inefficiency reveals the fundamental connection between a food chain and energy, defining how energy is captured, moved, and lost within an ecosystem.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global biofuel production has increased significantly, highlighting the growing importance of energy yielding plants. Energy yielding plants, also known as energy crops, are specifically cultivated for their potential to be converted into fuels or directly used to produce energy.

First developed in Sweden in the 1970s as a nutritional tool, a food pyramid in life science can refer to two distinct concepts: a dietary guide for humans or a graphical representation of energy flow in an ecosystem. This visual model helps in understanding fundamental biological principles, from individual dietary health to the complex energy dynamics of an entire ecosystem.

According to agricultural data, common fruits and vegetables contain between 70% and 95% water by weight. The remaining solid material is what is meant by dry matter, a critical metric for determining the nutritional value and quality of various organic products.

By 2050, the global population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion, leading to significant challenges in meeting the rising demand for protein using conventional agriculture. Single cell proteins (SCP) offer a novel and sustainable solution to this complex food security problem by leveraging the efficient production of microbial biomass.

According to ecologists, only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next in a food chain. Beyond energy, numerous other substances, including vital nutrients, organic compounds, and dangerous pollutants, are also transferred from one organism to another. This continuous process sustains life and can also concentrate toxins in higher trophic levels.