As long as microorganisms are fed with common elements in the air - hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide - they can obtain vitamin B9. Researchers say that this technology utilizes renewable energy to produce a sustainable, micronutrient rich protein substitute that may one day appear on people's dining tables. The related research was published on September 12th in the journal "Trends in Biotechnology".

Vitamin B9, also known as folate, is crucial for cell growth and metabolism. The research team has designed a two-stage bioreactor system that can produce yeast rich in protein and vitamin B9. In the first stage, the thermophilic anaerobic bacteria kivui convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide into acetate, which is typically present in vinegar. In the second stage, brewing yeast, commonly known as bread yeast, feeds on acetate and oxygen to produce protein and vitamin B9. Hydrogen and oxygen can be generated through the use of clean energy sources.

It has been proven that the vitamin B9 produced by yeast fed with acetate is roughly the same as that produced by yeast fed with sugar. Only 6 grams of dry yeast is needed to produce the daily required vitamin B9, as calculated by one of the authors of the paper, Michael Rychlik's research team at the Technical University of Munich in Germany. In addition, researchers have found that the protein content in yeast exceeds that of beef, pork, fish, and beans. 85 grams of yeast can provide 61% of daily protein requirements.