University of Alberta researchers making animal feed from coal

Researchers at the University of Alberta say they've created a product made of coal that could feed fish and livestock.

Researchers at the University of Alberta (U of A) have found a way to turn methanol derived from coal into a protein source to feed livestock.

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Through a partnership with Alberta startup Cv̄ictus, the U of A hopes to take the “edible coal-derived protein for animal feed” to the marketplace.

“What we’re working on here in the lab and what we have been for four years, is developing a fermentation process that can convert methanol,” said David Bressler, Chief Strategy Officer at the U of A and a professor of bioresearch technology.

He said the methanol is being fermented to make single-cell protein.

“The bacteria we’re using has been very specifically chosen because it can grow on methanol for both using it as the energy source that it’s growing on but it also has exactly the right amino acid composition with very high protein content,” Bressler said.

He said the process is similar to how sugar is fermented to make yogurt in the food industry.

“The biggest difference is we’re using methanol, they’re using sugar,” he said.

The U of A’s result is a dry protein powder similar to fish meal which Bressler said is a high protein source used in animal feed.

“They would take this and blend it with other sources of nutrients,” said Bressler.

“There are no oils or fats in high content so there’s not a lot of high energy, there aren’t a lot of carbohydrates, so building any diet you want to put the three things together.”

The U of A said there are enough natural resources in Alberta to scale the project and feed most of the world’s livestock.

The research project is based on technology developed and approved for use in Europe 40 years ago and is backed by a $1.7-million US grant from the Gates Foundation.

Bressler said the cost to make their product is about 20-per-cent less than agricultural protein production.

“Even though it’s coal the process doesn’t have any transportation, it doesn’t need fertilizer, it doesn’t need all of these other things that we use to make protein regularly,” he said.

“What we’re taking care of is the protein, which is the most expensive part of those three things and we’re doing it in a very low carbon, efficient, cost-effective way that’s sustainable.”