Protein fermentation

Impaler · 2015-01-10 17:53:31

Might colonists rely on synthesizing protein rather then animal-husbandry?

http://www.unibio.dk/technology/

Looks to be a technology for turning raw chemical feed-stocks like Methane, CO2, O2 (all stuff that any ISPP would create), and some Amonia (something you would need for any food production) and some trace mineral mix which could be brought from Earth without too much trouble and eventually recycled or sourced from regolith. The system looks to be bacteria/yeast type fermentation and produces dried powered protein meal.

The Earth-side usage of the technology is as a replacement for fish-meal in animal-feed. On Mars I don't see people eating 'protein gruel' directly, rather it would be mixed other appetizing materials brought from Earth (Cocoa powder + Water + Protein powder = Chocolate protein shake). Or the Earth-side usage would be duplicated, feeding the powder to life-stock, probably fish or poultry to essentially convert the protein into a more appetizing form.

Void · 2015-01-20 06:57:37

Impaler.

I like that sort of thing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosynthesis.

http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007% … 1-8#page-1

Serpentinization, abiogenic organic compounds, and deep life

I have previously proposed mushrooms http://www.easyoops.com/the-appetite-of … r-mushroom

Hydrocarbon gasses are easier to create on Mars though so the process you introduced could be easier in some ways.

However Abiotic Oil on Mars is not strictly out of the question. It may not be convenient though.

I presume you intend to add energy to Hydrocarbons derived from H20 and CO2.

It has been studied in other threads that O2, and CO can be obtained in small amounts from the atmosphere.
I think the ratio is about two times as much O2 as CO. If this could be strained from the atmosphere, perhaps the CO could help to build Methane. Otherwise, perhaps 1/2 of the O2 could be used by organisms to break digest CO, and then some Methane added to use up the rest of the O2.

It might also be possible that un-oxidized rock powder put in water could cause a chemistry which would generate H2 or Hydrocarbons.

I am thinking of a reservoir of water.

Lately I have begun to favor the equator as a first settlement location, so water will be harder to come by for a "Reservoir". Even so, later if at high latitudes as well, I would look into where you would place your stack, if you were going to duplicate their process.

If you have a reservoir, you could consider immersing some or all of it in water, making a pressure suit less required.

Anyway, any method which would provide food, and reduce the need for greenhouses or indoor lighted gardens is worth looking in to in my opinion.

Any favors that Mars is willing to give should be considered.

A real stroke of luck might be to find a location where bedrock is greatly fractured, but has not oxidized completely, and then to add liquid water to it from a glacier. Cover it with an ice covered reservoir, and keep the bottom layers warm. In fact if you added salt, it would be possible to warm, the bottoms layers to 20 degrees centigrade. That heat then penetrating the fractured rocks, and wetting them could set off a chemical reaction of serpentinization, (Serpentinization, abiogenic organic compounds, and deep life) which would produce heat and hydrocarbons, and could support organisms.

Without luck, you might have to fracture the rock artificially.

Heat could be added to the bottom of the reservoir using solar concentrating mirrors to generate steam from sunlight, and quenching the steam in bottom water.

Obviously, this is only going to work at high latitudes at first, maybe low latitudes if canals/pipelines are constructed later.

This would be a bit like constructing a small section of ocean bottom such as might function on Earth, You might also add O2 and CO to the lake from the atmosphere. So you might have biology driven by sunlight, where the UV has split atmosphere into O2 and CO, and you might also have Hydrocarbon seepage into the lake from below, where fractured volcanic rock is Oxidized in the presence of liquid brine water. If it worked, not only might you get feedstock for your process, but you might have excess hydrocarbons to dispose of into the atmosphere, to help with promoting a greenhouse effect.

The process of Serpentinzation also produces salt.

Putting your machine into the lake and conducting Hydrocarbons, O2, and CO into it might be more effective though. And with a head of water it might be possible under some circumstances, to wear swim trunks, and have a breathing tank & mask, while servicing the device.

If you wanted you could consider trying a sub process, where you feed your micro-organisms to livestock (Fish, Clams, Etc.) or,:
https://www.boundless.com/microbiology/ … -975-8059/

During this initial stage, when methane is relatively abundant, dense mussel beds also form near the cold seep. Mostly composed of species in the genus Bathymodiolus, these mussels do not directly consume food. Instead, they are nourished by symbiotic bacteria that also produce energy from methane, similar to their relatives that form mats. Chemosynthetic bivalves are prominent constituents of the fauna of cold seeps and are represented in that setting by five families: Solemyidae, Lucinidae, Vesicomyidae, Thyasiridae, and Mytilidae.
Source: Boundless. “Cold-Seep Ecosystems.” Boundless Microbiology. Boundless, 06 Jan. 2015. Retrieved 20 Jan. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/microbiology/ … -975-8059/

I am not into such food myself, and I don't know if any of the above mentioned can be edible, but I think you are on the right track.

Here is a link to an opinion of a deep sea vent type, which may suggest they could be food.
https://twitter.com/carinadslr/status/5 … 9104355330

The shells may be of value:

This microbial activity produces calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is deposited on the seafloor and forms a layer of rock. During a period lasting up to several decades, these rock formations attract siboglinid tubeworms, which settle and grow along with the mussels.

Source: Boundless. “Cold-Seep Ecosystems.” Boundless Microbiology. Boundless, 06 Jan. 2015. Retrieved 20 Jan. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/microbiology/ … -975-8059/
I am presuming that the Calcium might come from a Calcium salt dissolved in the waters?

It may be possible to have a variety of bulk items, which are not directly produced from sunlight.

So, maybe protein goop for your soup, and Mushrooms (Could be grown on the goop, or oil or a mix), and Seafood.

Last edited by Void (2015-01-21 08:04:45)

Impaler · 2015-01-20 22:34:39

You seem to be going off on a terraforming tangent, this protein fermentation stuff is for feeding the crew either directly or indirectly.

Mushrooms, anaerobic and abiotic processes are extremely slow compared to the fermentation process, one fermentor occupying a small room and utilizing a few 10's of kg a day chemical feed-stocks (a fraction of what's being produced for propellent needs) is probably adequate to provide the protein needs of 100 people. Nothing else could possibly compete with that kind of efficiency, we still need a good sugar/carb source but protein is one of the more difficult things to make in a persons diet so this looks like a solid basis for local food production.

Void · 2015-01-21 06:44:30

It's good that you further explained. Seems like a very desirable option to me. I think I will appropriate your machine, and move to another thread with it and twist it to my liking though. I will mention that I got it from you. If you like, I can try to remove the bulk of the materials from my previous posts.

Last edited by Void (2015-01-21 08:03:19)

Void · 2015-08-28 17:38:37

So, where are you these days Impaler?

http://phys.org/news/2015-08-artificial … cient.html
Quote:

A critical component that contributes to the efficiency and safety of the new system is the special plastic membrane that separates the gases and prevents the possibility of an explosion, while still allowing the ions to flow seamlessly to complete the electrical circuit in the cell. All of the components are stable under the same conditions and work together to produce a high-performance, fully integrated system. The demonstration system is approximately one square centimeter in area, converts 10 percent of the energy in sunlight into stored energy in the chemical fuel, and can operate for more than 40 hours continuously.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-08-artificial … t.html#jCp

Quote:

"Our work shows that it is indeed possible to produce fuels from sunlight safely and efficiently in an integrated system with inexpensive components," Lewis adds, "Of course, we still have work to do to extend the lifetime of the system and to develop methods for cost-effectively manufacturing full systems, both of which are in progress."
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-08-artificial … t.html#jCp

So, as far as I am concerned, this could be quite better than trying to grow bulk vegetation in a pressurized greenhouse on Mars.

If it works then the device using cold fresh water might not have to be pressurized very much.

Further two other further out there options would be.

Run it on cold brine. In that case the greenhouse (Transparent Glaze) does not have to be pressurized at all.

Or; if it could run in a pure water vapor atmosphere, then the Transparent Glaze enclosure would not have liquid water in it at all, but a water vapor dominated atmospheric mix.

Therefore from one or more of such variations, a source of fuels, and chemicals to drive Chemosynthesis.

In my opinion greatly reducing the problems of the initial establishment of settlements on Mars.

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#1 2015-01-10 17:53:31

Protein fermentation

#2 2015-01-20 06:57:37

Re: Protein fermentation

#3 2015-01-20 22:34:39

Re: Protein fermentation

#4 2015-01-21 06:44:30

Re: Protein fermentation

#5 2015-08-28 17:38:37

Re: Protein fermentation

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