3 ms·

Sounds like huge news for space exploration and colonization. First step in building a Star Trek replicator?

ben_w 5y ago
Cool though the development in the article is, everything I hear about space colonisation says that to make it viable you need power and physical space on a scale that isn’t significantly harmed by “just” using hydroponics and aeroponics, and the hardest problem in any case is the protein rather than the calories. (That and Trek replicators being much to fast for any mechanism we currently know about, so think “better bread machines” until someone can demonstrate 3D printing with IDK atomic quantum holography or something).
- baybal2 5y ago
  Protein from hydrocarbons was available since at least seventies. Google paprin, and gaprin. Paprin is yeast eating paraffin, gaprin is methane oxidising bacteria. I myself ate a porridge of paprin once when the food situation in Russia was bad enough.
  - TomAbel 5y ago
    Interesting is this what you are referring to >In the Soviet Union, the first production of feed protein from hydrocarbons took place in the 1970s. In total, the country built 12 plants with a designed production performance of around 1 million tonnes per year. This was close to 70% of the world’s bioprotein production at that time. The importance of the bioprotein industry in the country was comparable with that of the nuclear industry, since it allowed the Soviet Union to be self-sufficient in feedstuffs.[1] According to the article[1] the paprin caused health issues for the animals fed on it and health problems for the people who ate the the meat obtained from the animals. >Paprin had a devastating impact on animal health. This product disturbed the hormonal and water balance, causing the formation of oedema all over the animals’ bodies, the Russian Business Consulting agency reported, citing research by the Bashkiria State University. Meat obtained from these animals was causing flare-ups of chronic diseases in consumers. “Meat obtained from animals fed with Paprin contained an accumulation of abnormal amino acids that were incorporated into the membranes of nerve cells, thus disrupting the process of conducting a normal nerve impulse,” said Raisa Bashirova, senior researcher at Bashkiria State University. She added that it was even dangerous for humans to work with Paprin: “The workers at the plants and local residents were developing diseases such as thrush and bronchial asthma.” While the grapin was proved to be safe. [1]https://www.allaboutfeed.net/all-about/new-proteins/bioprotein-production-is-perking-up-in-russia/ https://www.allaboutfeed.net/all-about/new-proteins/bioprote...

Cool though the development in the article is, everything I hear about space colonisation says that to make it viable you need power and physical space on a scale that isn’t significantly harmed by “just” using hydroponics and aeroponics, and the hardest problem in any case is the protein rather than the calories. (That and Trek replicators being much to fast for any mechanism we currently know about, so think “better bread machines” until someone can demonstrate 3D printing with IDK atomic quantum holography or something).

baybal2 5y ago
Protein from hydrocarbons was available since at least seventies. Google paprin, and gaprin. Paprin is yeast eating paraffin, gaprin is methane oxidising bacteria. I myself ate a porridge of paprin once when the food situation in Russia was bad enough.
- TomAbel 5y ago
  Interesting is this what you are referring to >In the Soviet Union, the first production of feed protein from hydrocarbons took place in the 1970s. In total, the country built 12 plants with a designed production performance of around 1 million tonnes per year. This was close to 70% of the world’s bioprotein production at that time. The importance of the bioprotein industry in the country was comparable with that of the nuclear industry, since it allowed the Soviet Union to be self-sufficient in feedstuffs.[1] According to the article[1] the paprin caused health issues for the animals fed on it and health problems for the people who ate the the meat obtained from the animals. >Paprin had a devastating impact on animal health. This product disturbed the hormonal and water balance, causing the formation of oedema all over the animals’ bodies, the Russian Business Consulting agency reported, citing research by the Bashkiria State University. Meat obtained from these animals was causing flare-ups of chronic diseases in consumers. “Meat obtained from animals fed with Paprin contained an accumulation of abnormal amino acids that were incorporated into the membranes of nerve cells, thus disrupting the process of conducting a normal nerve impulse,” said Raisa Bashirova, senior researcher at Bashkiria State University. She added that it was even dangerous for humans to work with Paprin: “The workers at the plants and local residents were developing diseases such as thrush and bronchial asthma.” While the grapin was proved to be safe. [1]https://www.allaboutfeed.net/all-about/new-proteins/bioprotein-production-is-perking-up-in-russia/ https://www.allaboutfeed.net/all-about/new-proteins/bioprote...