If we grow algae in a plastic bag directly under the sunlight and genetically modify these algae to be non-toxic (or at least contain only toxins that can be deactivated by cooking) and produce gluten, we could grind them to powder and use that to bake break.
this could be useful for a future mars settlement, where conventional greenhouses would be expensive because they would have to be completely air-tight, but air-tight plastic bags might be cheap.
I used AI (gulp) to generate an image of this:
I hope you all won’t decapitate me for using AI to generate an image.
Btw here’s a list of typical algae’s nutrient content:
Does the algae taste like spiralina? Because if it still tastes like an aquarium that needs cleaning smells, it will be incredibly difficult for some of us to eat without gagging.
it’s already hitting the shelves. it’s used as a feedstock for multiple animal farms (mostly fish), and it’s also used as a dietary supplement for human consumption in the US. Source
Although i gotta admit, it has its issues. It is frequently contaminated with traces of toxins, which makes it a bit hazardous. It would need genetic engineering IMO before it can be used at larger scales. But the idea is there, and it’s actively researched by a lot of parties, including space agencies.
If we grow algae in a plastic bag directly under the sunlight and genetically modify these algae to be non-toxic (or at least contain only toxins that can be deactivated by cooking) and produce gluten, we could grind them to powder and use that to bake break.
this could be useful for a future mars settlement, where conventional greenhouses would be expensive because they would have to be completely air-tight, but air-tight plastic bags might be cheap.
I used AI (gulp) to generate an image of this:
I hope you all won’t decapitate me for using AI to generate an image.
Btw here’s a list of typical algae’s nutrient content:
Source is Wikipedia IIRC.
Does the algae taste like spiralina? Because if it still tastes like an aquarium that needs cleaning smells, it will be incredibly difficult for some of us to eat without gagging.
And I’m not a particularly picky eater.
Very cool. Does anyone research this stuff
me
Thank you Gandalf, when will it hit the shelves?
it’s already hitting the shelves. it’s used as a feedstock for multiple animal farms (mostly fish), and it’s also used as a dietary supplement for human consumption in the US. Source
Although i gotta admit, it has its issues. It is frequently contaminated with traces of toxins, which makes it a bit hazardous. It would need genetic engineering IMO before it can be used at larger scales. But the idea is there, and it’s actively researched by a lot of parties, including space agencies.
seriously, yes. you can use your favorite search engine using the keyword “spirulina”. btw, i run a mars community on lemmy: !mars@discuss.tchncs.de
I made a post about this topic here: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/43746168