Images of climate innovation

Converting CO2 into sustainable animal feed

The REACT-FIRST consortium is testing the commercial viability of animal feed prepared from ProtonTM, a proprietary single-cell protein developed by Deep Branch Biotechnology through fermentation that uses CO2 from industrial emissions.

ProtonTM has the potential to boost food production without increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

At the University of Edinburgh's Innogen Institute we are supporting the commercialisation of ProtonTM by implementing a Responsible Innovation Framework throughout its value chain.

REACT-FIRST is an Innovate UK-funded project that brings together ten industry and academic partners to test the commercial viability of animal feed prepared from ProtonTM, a proprietary single-cell protein developed by Deep Branch Biotechnology through a fermentation process that uses CO2 from Drax power station (Yorkshire) and hydrogen.

Climate change is driving a shift towards vegetarian or vegan diets, but more climate-friendly animal farming will be required to meet the protein demands of a growing global population. Feed production, mostly reliant on soya and fishmeal, is one of the highest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions from animal farming.  By transforming CO2 and H2 into animal feed, ProtonTM has the potential to boost food production without increasing greenhouse gas emissions and without diverting resources from other methods of producing food. It will also help to reduce the negative impacts that soya production and wild fish harvesting have on biodiversity.

The project is optimising ProtonTM production and trialling ProtonTM-based feeds on fish and poultry.  Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Innogen Institute are implementing a Responsible Innovation Framework for ProtonTM as described in the British Standards Institution PAS 440 Responsible Innovation Guide. The framework will help to ensure that the companies involved in the ProtonTM value chain are innovating responsibly (and to demonstrate this to interested stakeholders) and encourage consumer acceptance. Based on techniques such as life-cycle assessment, the framework will identify the potential economic, societal, and environmental benefits and risks of ProtonTM so they can be managed pro-actively. Demonstrating responsible innovation will help realize the benefits of Proton™ and shift food production systems towards achieving net-zero emissions as part of a circular bio-economy.

Entrant: Monica Hoyos Flight , University of Edinburgh

Copyright: Deep Branch