Carbon Monoxide Becoming New Source of Protein

Shougang Park, Beijing. (PHOTO:TANG Zhexiao)

After years of research, China has made a major breakthrough in protein synthesis from carbon monoxide (CO), and completed the construction of a production line with a capacity of 10,000 tons of protein, according to a joint research released on October 30.

The Feed Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has worked with Beijing Shougang LanzaTech New Energy Science & Technology Co. Ltd. to develop artificial synthesis technology to produce single-cell protein that could be fed to animals.

The natural protein synthesis is a long and complex process with low transformation efficiency. Artificial protein synthesis technology can be a game changer, and therefore has long been regarded as a revolutionary frontier of science and technology, said the leading scientist of the project, Dr. Xue Min from the Feed Research Institute of CAAS.

The new protein synthesis technology is essentially a fermentation technology that uses bacteria called clostridium ethanolicum to produce protein from CO and nitrogen sources (ammonia), all by-products of industrial processes, said Chao Wei, senior vice president of Shougang Lanza.

Chao said, "The optimized fermentation process can achieve both rapid conversion in 22 seconds (from the input of CO synthesis gas to the production of ethanol and bacterial protein mash) and efficient production of ethanol. This new technology consists of more than 100 independent intellectual property rights."

The Feed Research Institute has carefully analyzed the clostridium ethanolicum protein and conducted experiments. The study found that its protein content is twice that of soybean pulp. And it was certified for feed ingredients by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

According to Xue, China's annual consumption of feed is more than 200 million tons, ranking first in the world. But, high -quality protein source has been in short supply and largely reliant on imports.

It is estimated that China can produce at least 1.2 trillion cubic meters of CO -rich industrial exhaust gas every year. If this gas is used for efficient and clean utilization via biological fermentation technology, the annual output of clostridium ethanolicum protein can reach 10 million tons. Shougang Lanze has achieved three years' stable production in the pilot test, said Chao.

Yin Xiaofeng, director of the Feed Research Institute said that this technology could help reduce China's reliance on imported soybeans and achieve carbon neutrality.