Dual-reactor system converts CO₂ to consumable single-cell protein

Date:


Credit: Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2025.100525

A team of chemical, industrial and biotechnical engineers affiliated with several institutions in China has developed a dual-reactor system that can be used to convert CO2 to a consumable single-cell protein. In their paper published in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, the group describes how they designed, built and tested their dual reactor system and its possible uses.

Scientists note two major impediments to the continued practical existence of mankind: climate change and food production. In this new effort, the team in China developed a dual-reactor system that tackles both problems at once—it uses carbon dioxide in the air to produce a type of protein that can be consumed as food.

The new system has two stages. The first uses microbial electrosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into acetate, which then serves as an intermediary. The second stage involves feeding the acetate produced in the first stage into a reactor, where it is mixed with aerobic bacteria, which uses the acetate to produce a single-cell protein.

The system, the researchers note, was found to be quite efficient at 17.4 g/L of dry cell weight. They also note that the process created a product with a protein concentration of 74%, which they note is higher than both soybean and fish meal. They also note that the protein produced could be used for both animal feed and human consumption.

The researchers also point out that their dual-reactor system requires very little pH adjusting as it runs, easing the process and reducing costs—it also produces less wastewater than other protein production methods, which makes it both cleaner and cheaper to run due to minimal cleanup costs. Together these factors, they suggest, make their system more sustainable.

The researchers note that their new system could have a major impact on the future because it provides a way to create food for a growing global population while also reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They conclude by noting that the protein produced by the system is highly nutritious for both humans and animals.

More information:
Zeyan Pan et al, Single-Cell Protein Production from CO2 and Electricity with A Recirculating Anaerobic-Aerobic Bioprocess, Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2025.100525

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Dual-reactor system converts CO₂ to consumable single-cell protein (2025, January 18)
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