26.2.2021 Geoff Bryant (Calysta): Using Data science to demystify the Art of Fermentation - How farming a tiny microbe can help to solve the world's protein problem

Friday 26 Feb 2021, 15:00 → 17:00 Europe/London

Food security is one of the biggest challenges of our time. By 2050, 9.8 Billion people will demand 75 % more protein than is currently available. To satisfy this ever increasing need for protein, farming ecosystems like livestock, soy and legumes have been improved by decades of crop science and empirical observations to improve yield from season to season. However, traditional agriculture uses precious water and land and generates large amounts of CO2. With these natural resources under pressure from climate change and an increasing population, alternative sources of protein are needed.  

Microbial farming (fermentation) is able to generate large volumes of protein using a fraction of space and water consumed by traditional agriculture. Furthermore, protein production during fermentation with microbes produces reduced CO2 emissions for equivalent protein production using agricultural methods. However, compared to traditional agriculture, protein production from microbial fermentation is still in its infancy and although fermentation inputs and reaction conditions have been controlled and improved there still remains many unanswered questions and unexplained results.  

Calysta will show why it's important to develop a deeper understanding and control of fermentation conditions and why data science and AI may be the tool to help solve the world's protein problem.

https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/j/92825670579?pwd=VFkzcnRYeTFMdEhGa1hXVzBFUy9qZz09