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The final frontier? Astronauts could recycle their waste into protein paste
www.digitaltrends.com ^ | January 30, 2018 10:07 am | By Luke Dormehl

Posted on 01/31/2018 1:27:08 PM PST by Red Badger

We might sometimes talk about eating crap on a night in, but that’s nothing compared to the more literal crap future astronauts could well find themselves chowing down on. That’s thanks to researchers at Penn State University, who have been using a research grant from NASA to develop technology for breaking down solid and liquid waste, and transforming it into food that’s hygienic and safe for humans — albeit something you probably won’t be serving at a dinner party anytime soon. The resulting foodstuff is high in both protein and fat, and apparently not dissimilar to savory British sandwich spread, Marmite.

“This is not the typical research direction for my laboratory, but among other things we do work with unusual microorganisms,” Christopher House, professor of geosciences at Penn State, told Digital Trends. “In 2009, NASA had a call for proposals for educational research projects that advance the topic of space colonization. Lisa Steinberg, who is an environmental engineer, and I proposed to that call the general concept here of coupling anaerobic digestion to microbial growth of non-pathogenic microbes.”

The proof-of-concept system the Penn State researchers built involves sending human waste through a fixed-film, plug-through anaerobic reactor which converts the organic matter into methane and carbon dioxide. The reactor uses a plastic media with a high surface area-to-volume ratio, and is typically used in aquariums and ponds to treat ammonium from fish waste.

“In our reactor, this plastic media provided a surface for the bacteria to attach so the waste material could flow through the reactor and past these microbial biofilms, where the attached microbes would remove organic matter and other nutrients,” Steinberg told Digital Trends. “A special group of bacteria in the reactor, named methanogens, produce methane which we used to grow methylococcus capsulatus, a methane-consuming microbe. Using the gas from the anaerobic reactor allowed us to prevent the transfer of potential pathogens or other unwanted microbes into the reactor growing M. capsulatus.”

Sadly, the project is currently concluded and Steinberg says “there is nothing else planned,” although she noted that it could be picked up by another research team wanting to continue the work.

“Deep-space flight is really difficult with food production being one of many tough to tackle issues,” House concluded. “I am most excited by the concept that remarkable, and sometimes extreme, microorganisms might help make deep space flight more practical. Naturally, this paper is only a small step, and I think that we have not necessarily found the optimal solution with respect to which microbes are used and how.”


TOPICS: Agriculture; Astronomy; Food; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS:
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To: fulltlt

Probably necessary for long flight like the one to Mars.


41 posted on 01/31/2018 2:11:43 PM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: Red Badger

*sigh* Every day it’s the same sh!t.


42 posted on 01/31/2018 2:34:09 PM PST by texas_mrs
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To: Red Badger

They already recycle urine


43 posted on 01/31/2018 2:35:49 PM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Nifster

Water is one thing..................SH!T is another....................


44 posted on 01/31/2018 2:39:32 PM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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To: antidemoncrat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=008BPUdQ1XA


45 posted on 01/31/2018 2:40:20 PM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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To: Red Badger

Eat ****! 1000 million billion trillion bazillion flies can’t all be wrong.


46 posted on 01/31/2018 3:07:57 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all white armed conservatives)
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To: I want the USA back

They really need to sleep in hibernation until much faster travel is possible.


47 posted on 01/31/2018 3:27:14 PM PST by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Red Badger

Just put some sriracha on it and you’re good to go.


48 posted on 01/31/2018 3:28:09 PM PST by lurk
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To: Red Badger

“savory British sandwich spread,...”

That’s as far as I got. Still have tears...

Hey Red Badger, your home page was removed. How come?


49 posted on 01/31/2018 3:32:35 PM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus-)
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To: Red Badger

“Commander! We’ve made first contact with a new species. They call themselves ‘Earthlings’.”

“Anything special about them?”

“Uh.....they eat their own crap.”

“HIT THEM WITH THE DEATH RAYS!!!!! HIT THEM TWICE!!!!!”


50 posted on 01/31/2018 3:41:49 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Red Badger

Can you imagine if there are individuals from many different nationalities on that trip, all contributing to the "food" supply?   It gives new meaning to some old questions when it's time to "dine", such as these:

(Guh-rossssssssss!!!   With a capital "Guh")
51 posted on 01/31/2018 3:53:34 PM PST by Songcraft ("Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
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To: fruser1

The poor dog, Laika, did not survive the journey.


52 posted on 01/31/2018 3:59:20 PM PST by ought-six (Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule.)
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To: Red Badger

Agreed


53 posted on 01/31/2018 4:22:17 PM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Red Badger

This is yummy! Reminds me of the day we had that sushi bar.


54 posted on 01/31/2018 4:35:07 PM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.")
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To: Army Air Corps

“Major, have you been eating garlic again?”


55 posted on 01/31/2018 5:20:11 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: Red Badger

This gives ‘leftovers’ an entirely new meaning.


56 posted on 01/31/2018 5:26:49 PM PST by Typelouder
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To: Rebelbase

A whole new twist to s**t on a shingle.


57 posted on 01/31/2018 5:51:36 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: bgill

Gas Station sushi?.........................


58 posted on 02/01/2018 5:57:56 AM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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To: Pray All Day

What’s for breakfast?

Danish or Belgian Waffles?.....................


59 posted on 02/01/2018 6:01:00 AM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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To: Pray All Day

Don’t even ask about English Muffins...................


60 posted on 02/01/2018 6:01:37 AM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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