LanzaTech in Waste to Omega-3 breakthrough

More than one way to get Omega-3

New Zealand-born biotech firm LanzaTech has developed a carbon capture process that could help feed the world.

LanzaTech and a research team from the India-based IOC-DBT Center for Advanced Bio-Energy Research, have developed a process that recycles CO2 emissions into omega-3 rich fatty acids.

Omega-3 oils cannot be synthesised by humans, and must be consumed within the diet. The most common source of omega-3 oils is from fish, such as salmon, however fish are also not able to consume the essential oils via their diet. Aquaculture is now using fish as feed in fish farms, adding to the alarming levels of ocean overfishing, and the threat of global food security. LanzaTech’s carbon capture development could provide a sustainable alternative for the aquaculture industry.

Recycling carbon dioxide (CO2) gases as the sole carbon source for continuous gas fermentation, LanzaTech’s microbes produce acetate that is then consumed as energy and carbon by a proprietary algae developed by the team at IOC-DBT. These algae are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and can be utilised as an omega-3 rich fish meal substitute, or the algal oil can be extracted and purified as an independent omega-3 lipid product.

“LanzaTech and the team from IOC-DBT have demonstrated the tremendous potential of carbon recycling,” said LanzaTech CEO Dr Jennifer Holmgren.

“A platform that can produce sustainable food and fuels economically and at scale turns the issue of food vs fuels on its head. LanzaTech has long focused on increasing energy access and today we are a step closer to increasing access to affordable nutrition for all,” she said.

Dr D K Tuli, Executive Director and Centre Coordinator of IOC-DBT centre said, “Both IOC-DBT and LanzaTech have demonstrated the integration of IOC and LanzaTech process at bench scale at IOC-DBT Centre to produce omega-3 fatty acids (mainly DHA) and lipids. Co-production of lipids can make algal oil economically feasible. A continuous pilot plant facility shall be set up at IOC (R&D) next year which shall integrate both the processes resulting in creation of a disruptive technology. This project can be a game changer for production of omega-3 fatty acids and oil from algae in an economically viable method.”

According to LanzaTech, the process closely parallels the company’s demonstrated waste gas to fuels technology, which will allow LanzaTech to leverage its experience to rapidly commercialise the process.