Aerobic microbial community-based single cell protein production from soybean-processing wastewater

Abstract

Concerns over the depletion of natural resources and the need for food security for a growing global population are driving research into sustainable alternative ways to produce food-grade protein. Microbial protein or single cell protein (SCP) is defined as dried microorganisms with a high protein content along with fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Unlike single organism-based SCP, microbial community-based protein is composed of various microbial taxa, which can be grown on wastewater without the need for sterilization. Food-processing wastewaters constitute a safe and reliable substrate for microbial community-based SCP production, with carbon, nitrogen, and the existent microbial communities as key parameters. The aim of this research is to produce microbial protein directly from soybean-processing wastewater using the nutrients and microbial communities present. Regardless of the conditions applied in this work, microbial protein contained the essential amino acids required by aquaculture animals. Overall, this dissertation advances our understanding of the feasibility of reusing nutrients and microbial communities in food-processing wastewater to produce microbial protein without the addition of exogenous nutrients.