<center><img src="http://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/11/20/536px-Gas_flamed42ee.jpg" alt="536px-Gas_flamed42ee.jpg" border="0"></center>

Methane can be turned into protein with bacteria. Instead of the sun fueling plants to grow nutrients, now we have the sun fueling bacteria to grow protein. Companies are already feeding nonhuman animals with this technology, approved by the European Union. 

Calysta is one such company. They want to expand into making food for humans as well. They already have a factory in the UK making 100 tonnes of food, planning another in the USA for 200 tonnes more. Another company, Unibio in London opened a factory of similar size in Denmark this year. Both companies are ramping up production and promoting how this benefits the environment.

<center><img src="http://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/11/20/methane-protein6da18.jpg" alt="methane-protein6da18.jpg" border="0"></center>

The future of methane capture seems bright for conversion. We can capture methane in many irruglar places with anaerobic digestion of waste: from municipal wastewater, landfills, agricultural activities and manufacturing activities.

The goal is to go from less sustainable or non-renewable sources used to create many products we use. And companies like Calysta are on their way to cashing out on being ahead of the curve for the future of our planet.

<center><img src="http://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/11/20/methane-protein-263635.jpg" alt="methane-protein-263635.jpg" border="0"></center>

Is this really all that new of an idea? Or has this bacteria and process been known for a long time?

Well, this process to do has been known since 1971. A paper was published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, called [The Use of Methane for Production of Bacterial Protein](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bit.260130104/abstract). 

The downside to this, is if you are worried about carbon emissions, which I am not. The carbon blame-game for global warming is a scam to tax and fleece the populace and keep them treading along with a boot on their neck forever having their labor sapped by parasites. OK, rant against globalist elite done... LOL.

This is a useful technology, especially when thinking of space travel that has been in the news recently. Mars exploration could benefit greatly from this food production method.

<center><img src="http://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/11/20/640px-Wormhole_travel_as_envisioned_by_Les_Bossinas_for_NASA2a1aa.jpg" alt="640px-Wormhole_travel_as_envisioned_by_Les_Bossinas_for_NASA2a1aa.jpg" border="0"></center>

The methanotroph bacteria microbes "burn" methane and produce CO2 as a result, with water as a "waste" product. So not only can these buggers help with making food, they can also make water. This is very useful for space travel.

Scientists think this bacterial ability evolved billions of years ago, even prior to photosynthesis capacities. Methanotrophs can be found anywhere there is methane, busy eating away.

<center><img src="http://www.steemimg.com/images/2016/11/20/methane-eating-bacteria3328a.jpg" alt="methane-eating-bacteria3328a.jpg" border="0"></center>

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[Images: [1](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gas_flame.jpg), [2](http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/07/f24/giver_bioenergy_2015.pdf), [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_travel), [4](http://www.ecochunk.com/1961/2012/08/23/ways-microbes-could-help-build-a-greener-planet/)]

[References: [1](http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/methane-guzzling-bacteria-1.3359601), [2](http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2014/05/20/goodbye-fuel-from-food-hello-food-from-fuel/), [3](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bit.260130104/abstract), [4](http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/07/f24/giver_bioenergy_2015.pdf), [5](http://calysta.com/)]

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@krnel
2016-11-20, 7:37am