Cyanotreats
Team information
Category:
Marin Masha
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Cedric-Jens Kehling
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Rashmi Bhat
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Ourania Kisti
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Konstantinos Schoinas
Master
Wageningen University
Ilse van der Scheer
Master
Wageningen University & Research
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About the team
Cyanotreats is an international and multidisciplinary team of master students in Biotechnology and Food Technology with backgrounds in molecular microbiology, bioprocess design, bioinformatics, novel product development and sustainability. By sharing a strong motivation to contribute to a more sustainable future and being passionate to think out-of-the-box, we aim to apply great concepts and ideas in a down-to-earth and realistic manner.
Our vision
As the global population grows and the demand for nutritious food rises, there is a pressing need to reduce environmental impact, particularly from meat production. Our vision aims to create a novel food product that is not only protein-rich, but also contains additional valuable nutrients, all from a highly wasteful yet underutilized human waste resource. Through drawing inspiration from nature’s simple yet effective principles and exploring space technology, which try to maximize the use of resources in a closed-loop and zero-waste manner, we are committed to design a sustainable and circular production process for alternative proteins, turning a wasteful resource into a wasteless food product for Earth and beyond. Focusing first on local consumers, we hope to expand the environmental and societal impact of this innovation further to businesses, ensuring wide-spread application.
Our solution
One of the most underutilized waste sources is actually produced by you! On average, each person flushes 1.4 liters of urine down the toilet every day, which still contains valuable components. This creates an opportunity by rethinking this waste resource: it can serve as a substrate for cyanobacteria to grow and create an alternative protein source. In a world where sustainable food production is becoming more important while also remaining challenging, our goal is to introduce a highly nutritious product that has a low environmental impact and can be implemented both in new food products as well as replacing ingredients within existing ones. By repurposing by-products as fertilizers, we aim for a zero-waste, multipurpose system that contributes to both food scarcity and sustainable agriculture. Given that cyanobacteria have demonstrated resilience in extreme conditions and is already used in the food industry, it offers significant potential and original solutions to establish a food production system, which could also be applied in harsh environments and resource-limited regions on Earth, as well as during future space missions. By rethinking a “useless” human waste as a valuable resource, we aim to create a future where nutrition, sustainability, and resourcefulness go hand in hand.
Our Artist impression