Solar-Powered Microbes: An Alternative Approach to Meet the Demand for Bacteria-Based Products
Microbes are microscopic and unicellular creatures that are unnoticeable to the naked eye. Microbes such as bacteria, molds, and yeasts are used to make wine, beer, bread, dairy products, and various other food ingredients. Sun-powered microbes are microbes that are created utilizing solar energy and biomass.
Solar-powered microbes have seen substantial uses in the dairy, bread, beverage, meat, and food industries in recent years. These microbes are more nutritious than traditional microbes. Furthermore, numerous government initiatives encouraging the use of renewable energy are expected to contribute to the growth of the solar-powered microbes industry.
The primary factors driving the increased demand for solar-powered microbes are low production costs, increased nutritional value, and government-encouraged solar energy consumption programs.
The U.S. and Germany were the early adopters of solar-powered microbes technology and are expected to hold their dominance in the solar-powered microbes market in the future.
Solar-powered microbes are predicted to become increasingly popular in the food and feed industries in the future. Furthermore, numerous government regulations encouraging solar energy-based industrial food production in emerging nations are the crucial drivers driving market expansion.
Advances in Solar-Powered Microbes
The following factors contribute equally to the trends that have an enormous impact on the solar-powered microbes market.
1. Growing Demand for Microbes from the Animal Feed Industry: Due to the growing need for domestic animal feed, microbes play a significant role in the animal feed manufacturing industry.
Let’s observe the pattern that depicts the number of livestock animals that grew from 2005 to 2014, a point when a significant increase was witnessed in the cattle population.
An increased number of animals results in an increased demand for feed production. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that feed is the world’s greatest user of land resources, with pasture and arable land dedicated to feeding production accounting for about 80% of total agricultural area.
Therefore, an alternative method is required for the production of feed. However, solar-powered microbes are the best option to be considered, which would help in meeting the demand for feed efficiently without causing any trouble to the food industry.
Additionally, microbes obtained from solar power for feed would be healthier than the feed produced through the conventional method as combining both solar power and microbes could yield ten times more protein than crops. They would meet health and safety standards while using fewer resources such as land, water, and fertilizer.
2. Lower Manufacturing Costs: The production cost reduces when there is more produce and fewer raw materials.
In the case of solar-powered microbes production, basic resources such as water and fertilizer are utilized in much smaller proportions; for example, just one percent of water is required to generate food from solar-powered microbes.
In comparison to the conventional method, solar-powered microbes technology boosts productivity tenfold, which also helps to offset the cost of solar panel installation. As a result, the concept of producing more with less money is encouraging companies to invest in the production of solar-powered microbes.
3. Growing Usage of Lactobacillus: Lactobacillus is a type of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that is important in food fermentation. These LABs’ metabolic adaptability is directly related to their capacity to colonize a wide range of habitats.
Thus, lactobacilli have been used for decades for dairy products, fermented vegetables, fish, sausages, and silage inoculants.
Fermented food generated by LAB plays an important role in food and feed processing and establishes a balance in the diet for individuals and animals.
As discussed, there is a need for an alternative approach to feed production, and these microbes prove to be an efficient alternative to meet the demand for bacteria-based products.
Food Produced by Solar-Powered Microbes is More Efficient than Conventional Agricultural Produce
Microbes are grown in a bioreactor and processed into dry protein powders with the help of solar panels and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The system makes innovative use of land, water, and fertilizer, and it can be utilized worldwide, not only in areas with enough sunlight and fertile soils.
Using data from technology, the researchers estimated the efficiency of each part of the process, including gathering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transforming bacteria into food that people might consume. Researchers determined that the microbial system utilized just 1% of the water and a small fraction of the fertilizer required by the crops.
For instance, soybean produced 1.1 tonnes of protein per acre, enough to feed 40 people. Furthermore, in regions with limited or no sunlight, such as the U.K., microbial protein output was at least five times higher per acre than the total output obtained from conventional plant cultivation.
In terms of energy efficiency, staple crops convert just 1% of sunlight into edible biomass, which is quite minimal in comparison to solar-powered microbes. As a result, plants need less of the solar energy spectrum.
As a result, these microbes produce more food than conventional agriculture.
To summarize, solar-powered microbes are one of the best alternatives that can help feed both consumers and animals. Therefore, this efficiency will entice entrepreneurs to invest in solar-powered microbes since it provides an ideal platform for new-age businesses, resulting in the future growth of the solar-powered microbes market.
