{"id":119,"date":"2023-12-11T23:41:19","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T23:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/?p=119"},"modified":"2023-12-11T23:41:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T23:41:19","slug":"edible-oil-from-sawdust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/edible-oil-from-sawdust\/","title":{"rendered":"EDIBLE OIL FROM SAWDUST!!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mt-4 font-utility-subtitle-medium sm:w-4\/5 md:w-2\/3\">\n<h1>Why this startup is creating edible oil from sawdust<\/h1>\n<p>\u00c4IO\u2019s fermentation process creates healthy, sustainable oils and fats by upcycling low-value industry organics.<\/p>\n<p>Palm oil production hurts the environment and biodiversity, but it&#8217;s difficult to replace due to its remarkable productivity.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Estonian startup \u00c4IO has developed a process to make fatty oils with yeast that thrive on sawdust.<\/li>\n<li>Its founders hope the technology will replace palm oil and promote local economies to be more circular and sustainable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Just because something is natural doesn\u2019t necessarily make it sustainable. Consider palm oil. The product was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2019\/feb\/19\/palm-oil-ingredient-biscuits-shampoo-environmental\">widely adopted<\/a> in the 20th century to replace purportedly less healthy oils and fats in foods. Odorless, semi-solid at room temperature, resistant to oxidation, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 cheap, it\u2019s now found in almost everything.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.uk\/updates\/8-things-know-about-palm-oil\">World Wildlife Fund<\/a> estimates that 50% of <em>all <\/em>packaged products contain palm oil. It\u2019s in chocolate, pizza dough, and margarine. It\u2019s also in cosmetics like lipstick, and personal care products, such as deodorant, shampoo, and toothpaste. We use it in cleaning products, in pet foods, and as a biofuel. <a href=\"https:\/\/productswithoutpalmoil.com\/palm-oil-products\/\">The list goes on<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To meet the soaring demand, businesses around the world but especially in Southeast Asia are clearing tracts of rainforest to make room for palm oil plantations. The loss of such biodiverse habitat not only threatens close to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucn.org\/resources\/issues-brief\/palm-oil-and-biodiversity\">200 species<\/a>, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/orangutan.org\/palmoil\/\">orangutan<\/a>, it also throws millions of tonnes of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere (to say nothing of the industry\u2019s well-documented <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/virus-outbreak-only-on-ap-indonesia-financial-markets-malaysia-7b634596270cc6aa7578a062a30423bb\">worker exploitation<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, boycotting the product may not be a realistic option either, as the readily available substitutes may prove environmentally worse.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because palm trees are remarkably productive. They <a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/palm-oil\">create 2.94 tonnes of oil<\/a> per hectare of land, far outpacing other vegetable oils. Sunflowers produce just 0.74 tonnes of oil per hectare, soybeans 0.46 tonnes, and coconuts a meager 0.23 tonnes. To maintain the current supply with these alternatives \u2014 to say nothing of increasing demand \u2014 would require dedicating vastly more total land to oil production.*<\/p>\n<p>Rather than growing existing alternatives, it may prove more efficient to invent a new one. Estonian biotechnology startup <a href=\"https:\/\/aio.bio\/\">\u00c4IO<\/a> is doing just that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A whole different yeast<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00c4IO was founded in 2022 by Petri-Jaan Lahtvee and Nemailla Bonturi, a professor and senior researcher of food technology and bioengineering at Tallinn University of Technology, respectively. The two were initially part of a research group led by Lahtvee looking into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/?s=biotechnology\">biotechnology<\/a> processes that relied on locally available resources.<\/p>\n<p>After a year and a half of building and studying various processes, one stood out as special: a yeast created by Bonturi.<\/p>\n<p>Conventional yeast are microorganisms that consume raw sugars from organic sources like corn, barley, or fruit. Through metabolism, they then convert sugars into various end products known as metabolites. And these are key to many of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/science\/kombucha-living-materials\">favorite foods<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For example, baker\u2019s yeast releases CO2 as a metabolite, and this is why bread rises. In beer brewing, yeast metabolizes sugars into CO2 and alcohol (more specifically, ethanol) during the fermentation stage.<\/p>\n<p>Bonturi\u2019s yeast works similarly; however, hers evolved to be robust and productive with raw materials far more challenging than corn. Her microorganisms can consume the sugar found in even <em>sawdust<\/em> and metabolize it into lipids chockablock in antioxidants and omega-3 \u2014 the building blocks of the animal fats and plant oils we eat every day.<\/p>\n<p>This unorthodox yeast was nicknamed \u201cthe red bug\u201d after the ruddy pigmentation of the resulting biomass. (Though Bonturi admits, the moniker is also a nod to her three favorite \u201cRed Queens\u201d \u2014 the character from <em>Through the Looking Glass<\/em>, the AI from the <em>Resident Evil <\/em>series, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/bigthink.com\/surprising-science\/one-of-the-oldest-questions-in-biology-is-finally-at-its-end-why-do-organisms-reproduce-sexually\/\">Red Queen hypothesis<\/a> in evolutionary biology.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis microorganism was \u2018architected\u2019 by cultivating it through different selective pressures and letting nature do the work,\u201d Bonturi said in an exclusive interview with Freethink.<\/p>\n<p>She and Lahtvee then developed a fermentation process, one similar to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/entrepreneurship-innovation\/concentrated-beer\">brewing beer<\/a>. They mix the red bug in large, stainless steel tanks with the sugars from sawdust or other upcycled organic sources. They add some heat to activate the yeast and let the microorganisms do their thing. Once fermentation is complete, they harvest and treat the lipid-rich biomass to create food-grade oil- and fat-alternative products.<\/p>\n<p>\u00c4IO is currently focusing on three bespoke products. Its RedOil could be used as an alternative to vegetable and fish oils, or serve as a substitute for synthetic ingredients in cosmetics and lubricants in household cleaners. The company produces a powdered form for easy transportation and a \u201cbuttery fat\u201d to replace lards and shortenings, as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur main goal is to replace palm oil,\u201d Lahtvee said in the interview. \u201cAt the same time, we are working with precision fermentation of specialty lipids so that we can provide the chemical and physical properties that a customer needs, such as a specific melting temperature or taste profile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Think globally, act locally<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00c4IO\u2019s biomanufactured approach has several potential advantages over palm oil. For one, its powdered form can travel without risk of leaks, spillage, and loss. It can then be reconstituted on-site and emulsified to provide the consistency required for whatever product it is used in.<\/p>\n<p>The yeast can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freethink.com\/cities\/stronger-concrete-using-coffee\">upcycle \u201cside streams\u201d<\/a> from many different industries, too. Side streams are the unwanted, low-value byproducts of industrial activities \u2014 think sawdust from lumber or weeds from agriculture. While \u00c4IO has focused mainly on sawdust, its versatility means the fermentation process can be implemented locally anywhere a compatible side stream is available.<\/p>\n<p>Our technology contributes to the circular economy because it allows us to upcycle low-value products.<\/p>\n<p><em>Petri-Jaan Lahtvee<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur technology really contributes to the circular economy because it allows us to upcycle low-value products,\u201d Lahtvee said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to ensure food security, as well. Because our processes don\u2019t rely on long supply chains, and you don\u2019t have to transport specific goods to certain places, they can be locally produced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finally, there\u2019s the advantage of speed. It takes time to clear a dense rainforest, build a plantation, grow the palm trees, harvest the palm fruit, and then process it. The same can be said for raising animals for butter and lard. Conversely, microorganisms like yeast live on a far speedier time scale. This means \u00c4IO\u2019s fermentation process has the potential to produce fats and oils far quicker once production is at scale.<\/p>\n<p>All told, if RedOil replaced palm oil, Lahtvee and Bonturi estimate that <a href=\"https:\/\/aio.bio\/foodtech\/good-fat-works\/\">their technology has the potential<\/a> to \u201creduce land use by 74\u201397% and cut water consumption by up to 10 times,\u201d as well as significantly curb greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Food for thought<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00c4IO is currently testing its products in the food industry \u2014 where two-thirds of all the palm oil produced is currently used. The company is specifically targeting plant-based meat alternatives, where their oils and fats have the potential to deliver the same taste and mouthfeel as animal fats, something that vegetable oils don\u2019t imitate well. It is also <a href=\"https:\/\/aio.bio\/startup\/eesti-iduettevote-kaasas-alternatiivsete-olide-ja-rasvade-loomiseks-miljon-eurot-2\/\">fundraising and fostering new partnerships<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To scale production, Lahtvee and Bonturi have constructed a small plant. The plant will begin producing 20 kilograms of fats and oils a week by the first quarter of 2024. This will hopefully demonstrate that the process is robust enough for industry-like conditions. Looking ahead, Lahtvee and Bonturi are in the pre-engineering phase for a demo plant, which would increase production to more than 750 tonnes a year. They hope the plant will be operational by 2026.<\/p>\n<p>As always with a young company, challenges lie ahead. As Bonturi pointed out in our interview, new variables might arise when scaling up, and they\u2019re working to prepare for them as best they can.<\/p>\n<p>The company is in the process of applying for a novel food permit with the European Union. <a href=\"https:\/\/food.ec.europa.eu\/safety\/novel-food_en\">EU regulation<\/a> defines any food \u201cthat had not been consumed to a significant degree by humans in the EU\u201d before May 1997 as novel \u2014 anything from a biomanufactured enzyme to chia seeds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why this startup is creating edible oil from sawdust \u00c4IO\u2019s fermentation process creates healthy, sustainable oils and fats by upcycling low-value industry organics. Palm oil production hurts the environment and biodiversity, but it&#8217;s difficult to replace due to its remarkable productivity. The Estonian startup \u00c4IO has developed a process to make fatty oils with yeast [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-green-energy","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions\/121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}