OSAKA - A 29-year-old Osaka University researcher is developing technology to produce sugar from carbon dioxide in the air, seeking to create a faster and more sustainable source of livestock feed as population growth, extreme weather and poor harvests raise fears of future food shortages.
Yutaka Tabata, a specially appointed assistant professor at Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering Science, is studying a chemical process that first converts carbon dioxide into formaldehyde and then uses it to synthesize sugar.
The sugar would be fed to microorganisms, allowing them to multiply and produce protein. Those microorganisms could then be used as livestock feed, ultimately supporting the production of meat for human consumption.
Tabata's research extends beyond the chemical synthesis of sugar. He is also examining countless strains of microorganisms to identify new varieties that are particularly compatible with the artificial sugar, requiring work across traditional academic boundaries.
The global population is projected to approach 10 billion by 2050, while global warming and crop failures are increasing concerns about the stability of food supplies. Tabata believes chemical production could reduce agriculture's dependence on large areas of land, water and lengthy growing periods.
"With conventional agriculture, you need extensive land and water, and crops take several months to grow," Tabata said. "We are aiming to reduce the time, land and water required by producing it through chemical synthesis."
Sugar is an essential energy source for living organisms. Glucose, sucrose and starch are all forms of sugar, which is normally obtained from crops such as sugar cane and corn.
Tabata's approach is intended to bypass that process by using carbon dioxide in the air as the starting material.
During an experiment at his laboratory on Osaka University's Toyonaka campus, Tabata showed a transparent liquid undergoing the sugar-production process. As the chemical reaction progressed, the liquid gradually darkened and eventually developed a distinct yellow color.
Tabata said the potential impact lies in producing the material at 10 or even 100 times the speed possible through conventional agricultural methods while also addressing constraints involving time, land and environmental resources.
Through the project, he is seeking an agricultural production system that could contribute to what he describes as the ultimate sustainable society.
Source: テレ東BIZ
