In the 1960’s NASA was on a quest for deep space travel. Scientists, challenged with how to produce food for a year-long mission with limited space and resources, discovered a special class of microbes. These natural single-cell organisms, called Hydrogenotrophs, act like plants in that they convert carbon dioxide into food.
The concept was simple. Astronauts would exhale CO2, which would be captured by the microbes, these would be converted with other inputs such as power and water into food, which would feed the astronauts. The astronauts would then exhale more CO2, further enabling the Hydrogenotrophs to continue producing an endless cycle of nutrients.
Unique Challenge
Earth's population is expected to reach 9 -10 BILLION people by 2050, increasing the demand for food production by as much as 70%. Current food production accounts for more than 20% of all greenhouse gases, (more than all of gases generated by global transportation), and uses over 37% of the planet’s land mass - the amount of land equivalent to about the size of Africa and South America combined.
"Humanity is in need of a radical new food solution, one that uses less of our planet’s limited resources."
Kiverdi
A team of of passionate change makers dedicated to real-world solutions made possible by carbon transformation. Leveraging NASA’s concepts, they are applying the same thinking to our planet. Not only are they capturing our over abundance of CO2, they are using it as the key input for creating nutrients and bio-based products.
Their technology has been developed in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley Labs, and SRI International and with funding from the US Department of Energy’s BETO/ARPA-E, the California Energy Commission, the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Quebec government and support from European governments.
Further Sources and Details can be found on Humanatronix.com