thinkcontext6 hours ago
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-fellows-tech-comp...
vitally36432 days ago
Breathless tech reporters have discovered farming
cjs_ac9 hours ago
The headline is a reference to the phrase ‘bread from air’, which was used to describe the applications of the Haber process.
mock-possum2 hours ago
Which is in turn doubtless a “mana from heaven” reference from abrahamic religious mythology
forgetfreeman5 hours ago
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.
ericyd5 hours ago
> 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 corn
Nothing odd about flagrant hypocrisy, it's part of the brand
dyauspitr4 hours ago
It would be one of their main talking points if the majority of farmers were black/latino.
trhway8 hours ago
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.)
krzat8 hours ago
Coal margarine, this protein powder and some vitamins, I wonder how long human could survive on such "diet".
trhway8 hours ago
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.
jakzurr5 hours ago
I just think it's pretty amazing.
raybb5 hours ago
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...
the_sleaze_5 hours ago
> Similarly, the atmospheric CO2 can be a source of carbon, especially say on Mars.
How would this work?
wiml11 minutes ago
Hire Mark Watney to grow some potatoes?