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Synopsis of the news report:
"The Three-Ingredient Food of the Future"
Current practices of food production, while necessary, consume substantial amounts of water, land, and other resources, and generate considerable agricultural waste. Addressing these inherent costs, a team of researchers led by bioengineering professor Ting Lu at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is exploring an innovative solution that could dramatically reduce the resources needed for food production. The team, which includes professors Paul Kenis, Mohan Sankaran, Christopher Rao, Yong-Su Jin, Keith Cadwallader, and Vijay Singh, is working on a futuristic method of producing food using only air, water, and electricity.
The potential of this technology comes at a critical time with the global population rising, arable land diminishing, and the threat of climate change looming, which could destabilize future food production. The concept involves converting nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the air into compounds like ammonia and acetate, which are then fed to microbes to produce biomass. This biomass contains proteins and carbohydrates essential for creating food, which the team plans to offer in various forms such as shakes, gels, and dried jerky, initially envisioned as a supplementary food source.
With a $10.4 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the team is set to further develop their method, which promises faster and more environmentally friendly food production that could potentially be implemented anywhere in the world, from the South Pole to remote islands. The project also emphasizes creating palatable food with a range of flavors from sweet to savory, aiming to meet consumer preferences and enhance acceptance.
The scale-up and integration of the project are being managed by UIUC's Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), equipped with the necessary bioprocess technology. The team's collaborative efforts showcase the broad expertise and innovative culture at UIUC, poised to potentially transform the way food is produced globally.
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