SC-Protein: Developing a Waste-to-protein System

Globally, food production accounts for over 26% of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, while in Ireland the sector is directly responsible for 38% of national GHGs emissions. The world is now in urgent need of sustainable solutions to overcome contemporary food challenges. Namely, how can a growing world population be fed when agricultural land per capita is decreasing? How can we transform biological resources into value-added products to make agriculture more circular? How can we produce more protein in a sustainable way without destroying the planet?

SC-Protein proposes a potential solution for these challenges by developing an integrated waste-to-protein biorefinery system for producing alternative single cell proteins (SCPs), using microbial fermentation. SC-Protein will transform locally available agrifood industry waste/side streams into cost-effective alternative growth substrates, that will then be used as sole carbon source for cultivating microbes in a bioreactor using precision fermentation. By decoupling protein production from fishing and farming, SC-Protein will provide sufficient feed-grade proteins for animals, without using arable land and water.