Egg white from microbes. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Egg white from microbes

11.01.2022

Egg white is one of the most important and common additives in the food industry. But to obtain it, you need to breed, grow and care for a large number of chickens. This means that a significant amount of water is being used, agricultural land is expanding, threatening natural environments, and a lot of greenhouse gases are being released. And given that the world's population is growing, we can expect an increase in chicken farming, which will have an even greater negative impact on the environment. In addition to environmental concerns, intensive poultry farming threatens more frequent outbreaks of infections that can be transmitted from poultry to humans, such as bird flu.

Giving up egg white is not an option, so science is working to develop alternatives. It can be the use of genetically modified microbes, which forced the production of chicken egg protein - ovalbumin - by introducing the corresponding gene into the genome. For example, this has already been done with E. coli (Escherichia coli) and microscopic fungi Trichoderma reesei. However, there has been a reluctance to switch to industrial-scale production of microbial chicken protein due to the uncertainty that this option is more environmentally friendly and cost-effective compared to poultry farming.

A group of scientists from the University of Helsinki, the Finnish Center for Technology Research VTT and Solar Foods tried to understand the feasibility of replacing chicken eggs with microbes. The researchers began to compare the environmental impact of Trichoderma reesei producing a unit of ovalbumin on an industrial scale (100 kilograms) and obtaining the same amount of protein in the traditional way from chicken eggs. The calculations took into account land use, the required amount of water, the degree of soil oxidation, greenhouse gas emissions and other parameters. Since microbial food production relies heavily on electricity, the feasibility of the technology will vary in different countries, depending on their availability of electricity.

Comparison of microbial egg white production in different countries indicates that it is more environmentally profitable to use the technology with an increase in the share of renewable energy sources. Thus, the contribution of electricity to global warming potential under the scenario of Poland, which relies mainly on coal, was 34 percent, while under the scenario of Finland, which uses mainly nuclear power with a significant renewable contribution, the figure was only 2 percent.

Microbial technology can make egg whites more environmentally friendly than traditional poultry production. Microbial production of ovalbumin uses nearly 90 percent less land and has a 31-55 percent lower global warming potential.

<< Back: The danger of urban smog 11.01.2022

>> Forward: Laser drones against pests 10.01.2022

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Voice preferences of women and men 10.09.2021

American experts from the University of Utah and the University of California found out that the assessment of the attractiveness of a person's voice is influenced by the clarity of the articulation of words.

During the new scientific work, they recorded how 42 people perform vocal exercises. Then the other participants in the experiment were asked to rate the attractiveness of the voice.

As a result, scientists have established how acoustic indicators of speech clarity are associated with attractiveness. The main point turned out to be the articulatory space of vowels.

The researchers explained that in women, 73 percent of the time, a higher vowel space increased the attractiveness of the voice. At the same time, such a trend was not observed among representatives of the strong half of humanity.

As a rule, women are attracted to men with masculine traits, so men with less intelligible speech seem more attractive.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews