Lisa Dyson, PhD

Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that grows naturally in mineral-rich alkaline lakes, but most commercial spirulina is grown in controlled environments to ensure purity and maximize production. Here's an overview of how spirulina is cultivated and processed: Cultivation 1. Setting Up Cultivation Systems: - Spirulina is typically grown in open raceway ponds, which are shallow, recirculating channels in a loop shape that allow the algae to be stirred continuously. - These ponds are equipped with paddle wheels to mix the spirulina culture and ensure even exposure to sunlight. 2. Preparing the Growth Medium: - The growth medium for spirulina consists of water rich in nutrients like carbonates, nitrates, and phosphates, along with trace minerals like iron and magnesium. This provides the essential nutrients for spirulina to grow. 3. Controlling Environmental Conditions: - Spirulina thrives in high pH environments (around 8.5 to 11) and warm temperatures (between 30°C and 35°C). These conditions are maintained to prevent the growth of other organisms and favor spirulina. - The ponds are placed in areas that receive ample sunlight as spirulina requires light for photosynthesis. 4. Inoculation and Growth: - A small amount of spirulina culture from a previous batch is introduced into the prepared pond as an inoculum. - The algae multiply rapidly under optimal conditions, doubling in quantity every 2-5 days. Harvesting 1. Harvest Timing: - Harvesting typically occurs every 3-6 weeks, depending on the growth rate and density of the culture. - The spirulina is harvested when it reaches the desired density to prevent overgrowth, which can lead to nutrient depletion and reduced quality. 2. Harvesting Method: - The spirulina biomass is collected using fine mesh screens or filtration systems that capture the dense, filamentous algae while allowing water to pass through. - The collected biomass is then washed to remove impurities and excess salts. Processing 1. Drying: The harvested spirulina is dried to reduce moisture content and preserve it. Methods include sun drying, spray drying, and freeze-drying. The method chosen affects the final product's quality and nutrient content. 2. Milling: Dried spirulina is often ground into a fine powder, making it easier to package, store, and incorporate into various products like supplements and food items. 3. Packaging: The final step involves packaging the processed spirulina in airtight containers to protect it from moisture and oxidation. Spirulina can be sold as a powder, flakes, or tablets. Quality Control Throughout the cultivation and processing stages, quality control measures are crucial. This includes testing for heavy metals, bacterial contamination, and ensuring the nutritional content meets specific standards. This streamlined approach helps maintain the high nutritional value of spirulina and makes it a popular supplement for health enthusiasts worldwide.

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Wondering why more people aren't buying shrimp? It turns out that the industry has done a terrible job of maximizing quality and ensuring that end consumers can buy wholesome and nutritious seafood. In the quest to make shrimp cheaper and cheaper, the industry has sacrificed quality, taste, and nutrition, which is damaging its reputation. Would you buy shrimp that look unappetizing and feed it to your family? It's time for the industry to prioritize quality over quantity and to give consumers the seafood they deserve. #seafood #qualityoverquantity #shrimp #nutrition #sunshrimp

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Is our obsession with cheap, convenient, quick meat making us inexplicably, feverishly ill? Poor animal husbandry says so, without concern for regenerative agriculture standards. ---------- "A dairy worker in Texas contracts H5N1 bird flu after contact with infected cows, and suffers eye inflammation. Weeks later, a dairy worker in Michigan begins to cough and then tests positive for the virus. A ferret in a cage (ferrets are often used as study proxies for humans) becomes infected with the virus by airborne transmission from a sick ferret in a nearby cage. These data and other recent cases of H5N1 suggest that the virus might be evolving to spread more easily to — and among — people." ... "One implication is that while U.S. health authorities say the risk to the general public remains low, that risk could increase quickly. Another implication, less obvious but worth pondering, is that our collective appetite for on-demand inexpensive meat and dairy is leading us toward another catastrophic pandemic, not just pink eye and coughing in a few people." ... "But we should reserve some of the blame for ourselves. Americans are eager customers of the products that industrial-scale animal husbandry provides: milk, eggs, beef, chicken and pork. They arrive on our supermarket shelves wrapped in plastic or in cardboard cartons from vast factory farms perfectly suited to serve as petri dishes for the evolution of novel pathogens — novel to humans, anyway. We have surrounded ourselves with chattel animals, raised and milked and fattened and slaughtered and plucked and butchered in staggering numbers. It’s no surprise that sometimes they give us their viruses." ... "The point here is not to demonize cows or malign their udders. The point, on the contrary, is to remind us how humans treat cows, how we gather them in dense herds to achieve industrial-scale economies in supplying the dairy and meat products we crave. The United States is home to about 9.4 million dairy cows, most of those (again, like the chickens) on large operations with more than a thousand animals. If H5N1 continues circulating among them, there will be many spins of the wheel." ... "By the choices we make as consumers, seeking economies of scale and low costs for the meat and dairy we want, produced in situations where thousands and millions of animals are crammed together in feedlots and barns, we create risks for ourselves and opportunities for the next dangerous virus. The roulette wheel turns, the pearly ball rolls. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets."

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Gene Editing Accelerates Fruit Ripening and Increases Fruit Firmness of Tomato https://lnkd.in/e2JPW_-q

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🏛 The potential impact of shifting government support away from industrial animal ag toward sustainable food practices cannot be overstated __________________________________________________________________________ In this week's episode, Sonalie and I dig into a new 10-country report by think tank Green Alliance, commissioned by The Good Food Institute Europe, that shows the potential market share of plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated-derived foods depending on the level of government support As with any analysis, there's obviously major margin for error, but the directional takeaways are still important to note 🌟 As you might expect, the more government support (and less $ going to industrial animal ag) the higher the market share of alt proteins overall But I thought these were some interesting points to note: 💡 This suggests that without government support, cultivated has no chance - that's a pretty bold statement, and while I can't say I FULLY agree, I'm basically there 💡 Plant-based market share definitely increases with government support, but not by much, indicating that maybe the industry's trajectory has been decided already 💡 Fermentation seems to be the area with the biggest potential upside, both for current investment dollars and with government support - and that's representative of what I've been seeing in the market recently in the investment community ⏱ I do think the market share expectations in this are lofty given the timelines. I'd love for alt proteins to be 10-70% of the market by 2050, but 26 years is pretty short for food system changes, so I don't think that's reasonable Either way, the report is very interesting and shows how impactful government support can be to make the changes in the food system we so desperately need Aside from that, Sonalie and I also discuss: ☕ Starbucks digging deep into sustainable farming approaches for arabica coffee involving agroforestry and smallholder farmers. Love what I'm seeing there 🥵 A majority of the 380 climate scientists surveyed by The Guardian say we’re on our way to breaching the 2.5°C barrier this century – and only 6% believe we’ll meet our 1.5°C budget. Not the most optimistic thing to see, but maybe thinking a bit more like Hannah Ritchie can be helpful from a mental health standpoint! 🥚The positive of the week was that Taiwanese hospitality chain Silks Hotel Group has pledged to transition to cage-free eggs across all its sites by 2030, following a partnership with the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan. The shift to better animal welfare standards in Asia may have been slower than in other parts of the world, but Sonalie hits on how the rate of change may be increasing, and that's a win worth noting. To listen to the episode or read the full Green Queen Media newsletter, check out the links in the comments!

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🥩 Meat vs 🥗 Plant-based vs 🍄 Fungi vs 💯 Cultivated --> As the alt protein market shifts, where do we draw the line between them as combinations emerge? GOOD Meat (Eat Just, Inc.) is always good for a headline, and this week they announced they're the first-ever cultivated company to release products in retail after launching a cultivated chicken product in the frozen section of Huber's Butchery in Singapore. 😲 Seemed cool at first, but we then learned the products contained 3% cultivated cells and 97% plant-based ingredients. Yes, you read that correctly. Three percent. 📢 Sonalie and I share our thoughts on this in this week's episode (link in comments), and I end up going on a bit of a rant as, it turns out, I really don't think much of this announcement. There are questions around the reason for doing this (just to be the first, investor pressure, etc?), if there's value to being the first to retail, if 3% is all that's needed to completely change the experience of the product vs 100% plant-based, etc. ⁉ But a really interesting question that was raised is at what % inclusion does a plant-based or mycelium/fungi product become a cultivated product? Where do we draw the line in the sand? 1% 3% 10% 25% Etc. Etc. 🤔 Does adding 3% of cells really make it go from plant-based to cultivated? How do we justify a specific number being meaningful? Is it simply whatever number that results in consumers being open to switching from conventional animal products? Will that number vary by meat type (I'd have to imagine so)? Will the masses be happy with, or interested in, anything less than 80%+ (I pick 80% because 80/20 beef/fat is very common - at least in the US)? 🤔 I think the % that matters is whatever number that will result in the masses of consumers being open to switching away from conventional animal products - but, again, we don't even know what that number is, and at this point it could very well be 100% What do YOU think? Genuinely want to hear everyone's thoughts. _______________________________________________________________ Separately, this week's episode also hits on: 🌱 Peter McGuinness of Impossible Foods shares thoughts on the plant-based sector w/ Bloomberg. A lot we agree with, such as the failure of the initial messaging in the space and what needs to change. Sonalie also makes me sound like a lying monster for saying it's okay to make the messaging of a mission-driven company NOT centered around the mission! Fun haha 🥚 I share how I'm extremely excited by this new about The Vegetarian Butcher and The EVERY Company, as it's what the space has been created for; HOWEVER, I do need to call out here that I may have gotten over-excited, as I may have missed the point that it's being used as a CMC replacer vs conventional egg. Need to learn more! Arturo 🇰🇷 Sonalie shares the positive of the week, which is the amazing government progress/support for sustainable foods in South Korea - could be the next Singapore!

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🔥🔥 Carbon insets (not offsets) are a hot topic.🔥🔥 Last week, I listened to a great a discussion about insetting biochar into customer supply chains to reduce their carbon footprints. Thanks to Cimberley Groß (Novocarbo) for moderating, to Myles Gray, P.E. (US Biochar Initiative), Tristan Springer (CarbonPilot), and Dr. Mario Schmitt (ecoLocked) for the panel discussion, and to Jason Grillo (AirMiners) for hosting. 👀 👀 Check it out. 👀 👀 It was a thorough overview of this emerging opportunity along with probing audience questions. Insetting represents another attractive option to unlock the full value of biochar beyond selling the carbon credit offsets or the physical product. #climatechange #biochar #climatecareers

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Your Sewage Could Save the Planet: Inside Vaulted's Carbon Removal Tech Big news in the climate change fight! Frontier just inked a massive deal with Vaulted, a startup turning waste into a long-term carbon storage solution. This approach is exciting because it's scalable – waste biomass alone could remove over 300Mt of carbon annually in the US! What makes this different: Nature does the hard work: Plants suck CO2 out of the air, then Vaulted transforms the waste into a slurry and injects it underground. Simple, yet brilliant! Affordable and getting cheaper: Think under $100 per ton! They use existing waste management infrastructure and skip costly processing. Turning pollution into a solution: Vaulted targets nasty stuff like sewage and food waste that usually pollute when disposed of. Ready to rock: These guys aren't just a startup. They spun out of a waste management company, so they have the tech, the wells, and the experience to do this safely – and they're already delivering on their promises! Bottom line: Vaulted shows how existing industries can pivot to be a major part of the climate solution. And it seems to be working - Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta, and McKinsey Sustainability, as well as Autodesk, H&M Group, JPMorgan Chase, and Workday. Also, Aledade, Canva, SKIMS, Skyscanner, Wise, and Zendesk have purchased via Watershed’s partnership with Frontier. And others are lining up to buy their carbon removal credits! Want to dig deeper into carbon removal? Frontier's got the resources. #CarbonRemoval #WasteToValue #ClimateTech #NetZero #Future

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Did you know that if you ferment a vegetable with a non-GM fungal organism you can get an amino acid profile that's very similar to cow's milk? 🌱🔬 I sure didn't before embarking on this journey 😅😂 So what's brewing in this magical bioreactor not only has the potential to revolutionise cheese alternatives by bringing delicious flavours & textures, it also contains all essential amino acids making it a complete protein (just like dairy milk) 🌟💪🍄🐮 And it's also rich in fibre (milk has none), but lower in sugar & fat compared to milk 🙃 Who cares? We do! Alternatives to cheese (and all animal products) need to be as nutritious, if not better, to truly become mainstream & create significant change ✊ Want to know more about Bolder Foods? Meet me and Ophelia Gevaert at F&A Next next week 😉 #foodtech #futureoffood #mycelium #altcheese #altprotein #FANEXT

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Biochar – The Series, Part 4: Recommendations for US Producers 🎇 Today is the final installment of my biochar series on Climate Drift! Part 4 offers recommendations to US biochar producers (links in comments) 📈 Biochar is one of the few CDR technologies already in commercial deployment 💰 It is expected to be a $400B market ➡ Low awareness and low perceived ROI hinder adoption 💪 US biochar producers need to “build the market” for their product At the end of Part 4, I provide fourteen “market building” recommendations. 🤓 Feedback welcome.  I’d love to hear what resonates and what I am missing.  Feel free to drop a comment or reach out to schedule time. 📖 It has been a blast learning about biochar.  I am BULLISH on BIOCHAR. If you want the full presentation with all 4 parts, please post “biochar presentation” in the comments.  #biochar #climatechange #climatetech #carbonremoval #climateaction #agriculture #climatecareers #climatesolutions

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How far away are we from eating cultivated meat (lab grown meat)?? What is cultivated meat? 'Cultivated meat is meat produced directly from cells. The process of cultivating meat uses the basic elements needed to build muscle and fat and enables the same biological process that happens inside an animal. Cultivated meat is identical to conventional meat at the cellular level.' We know that conventional industrial animal farming is not sustainable and that the metrics dont stack: - 83% of land is used for industrial farming, yet it only produces - 1/3 of our protein - 1/5 of our calories Turns out, you can taste a cultivated meat ball in South Africa today. More specifically, in Cape Town, where a dymanic foodtech startup called Newform Foods that makes cultivated meat from animal cells. The pic attached was an event hosted by Brett Thompson and Tasneem Karodia, the co-founders of Newform Foods where 3 lucky people got to taste cultivated meat balls. Pretty ground-breaking work by them. Two of the lucky tasters was: - Philip Lymbery: Global CEO of the leading international farm animal welfare organisation, Compassion in World Farming and author of Cultivated Meat (https://lnkd.in/dscrRufU), who hasnt had meat to 40 years. - Badyn Holesgrove: from the Greyton Farm Animal Sanctuary, where Pecorino the sheep lives, the 'source' of the cultivated meat balls (Pecorino was not harmed in this process at all). Really grateful to experience this moment in the flesh and to see how Newform Foods is pioneering in this space as similar EU and UK are affected by regulations preventing public tasting. For those interested, Fundie Ventures will be running an angel syndication for Newform Foods. DM if interested.

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Comprehensive piece by Elaine Watson who did amazing work deep diving into the progress and breakthroughs insect companies are doing around the world. If you need a snapshot of what's going on in the #blacksoldierfly space right now, this is a great article to go to. Thank you for the feature on Insectta, Elaine!

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𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Companies also produce nonreducible emissions which are those emissions that no one can do without such as using a PC. In order to offset these types of emissions, the company can fund certified projects that deal with the development of CO2 capture technologies or that preserve forest areas and biodiversity. Neutralizing thus means restoring a balance between the amount of CO2 emitted and that captured by the funded projects. #BIOVIIIx #carbonneutral #carbonneutrality #BIO2 #Up2You #TheFutureIsUpToYou #nature #neutralization ##co2 #emissions

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Redefining Our Plates: The Future of Meat is Cell-Based 🍔 Imagine enjoying a delicious burger with the knowledge that no animals were harmed in its making. This isn't a distant dream but a reality being shaped by cell-based meat technology—an innovation that could revolutionize our food systems and align them more closely with the values of sustainability and compassion. Why is this significant for us at Simple Planet and the broader tech and environmental communities? 🌍 Environmental Impact: Traditional livestock farming significantly contributes to deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Cell-based meat, however, has the potential to drastically reduce these environmental footprints by using less land, water, and energy. 🐄 Animal Welfare: The ethical considerations of meat consumption can no longer be ignored. Cell-based meat provides a humane alternative that could end the slaughter of billions of animals and minimize their suffering—aligning with our vision of a kinder, more sustainable world. 🍽️ Food Security: With global populations expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the pressure on our food systems will be unprecedented. Cell-based meat offers a scalable, sustainable source of protein that could help meet this demand without overtaxing our planet's resources. 💊 Health Benefits: Beyond ethical and environmental advantages, cell-based meat can be tailored to be healthier, containing fewer saturated fats and more beneficial nutrients, while also reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses commonly associated with conventional meats. While the road ahead includes challenges such as regulatory approval, public acceptance, and cost reduction, the investment and research pouring into this sector are promising signs. At Simple Planet, we are keenly watching this space, ready to support technologies that align with our mission of sustainability. As we stand at the intersection of tradition and innovation, I invite you to share your thoughts: Could you see cell-based meat becoming a regular part of your diet? What concerns or excitement does this technology provoke for you? Let’s dive into this discussion and envision a future that’s kinder to our planet and all its inhabitants." Share your views in the comments below and let's get the conversation started!

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The data is clear. “Exponential growth of the plastics industry is undermining the world’s efforts to address climate change,” said Heather McTeer Toney, executive director, Beyond Petrochemicals. Key takeaways from Berkeley Lab's new report on GHG emissions from global plastic production: 🌎 The industry represents 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.  📈 Expected growth could balloon that share to more than 20 percent of our carbon budget by 2050.  🛢 More than a third of emissions from plastic production occur during oil and gas extraction and refining. https://lnkd.in/gX7YjT7X

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#Rice is one of the largest grain crops, feeding nearly half the world’s population and accounting for over 20% of global calorie intake. Despite its widespread cultivation, with the biggest producers being China, India and Indonesia, production has peaked in recent years and this staple crop is facing more challenges than ever. With a rapidly growing global population, the race is on to increase yields and productivity. Being labelled as the crop with the highest emissions, requiring copious amounts of land and water to produce, second only to beef and dairy in agricultural production. It’s critical for us to improve the sustainability of rice cultivation in the wake of global climate change and environmental impact.

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Starting with my conclusion: Using genetic approaches to reduce methane emissions from beef and dairy cattle is not in the future, it is here now. Meryl Richards and Vrashabh Kapate nicely lay out 4 key points for food companies to think about to address enteric methane from the beef and dairy supply chains, based on a conversation last week with Jim Eckberg, Bauer (Thomas) and Hannah Stefenoni. While I agree that investment is needed by food companies to incentivize the right behavior from their suppliers, I don't agree that more research is needed before we can leverage "low-methane" genetics. Speaking with a beef lens, we have these genetics today. In a structured breeding program, such as ABS Global has built with #NuEraGenetics, each new generation grows more efficiently than the last and thus provides a product with lower carbon intensity. The difference is measurable and impactful. We are also making sure it's credible and defensible. And, we can do this while still providing a better product for the consumer and more profit for the farmer or rancher. There are clearly genetic research activities in progress that will likely contribute more methane reductions but we don't need to wait to implement genetics as a key emissions reduction intervention. We are doing this today and have the genetics that can make a difference for reducing enteric methane. Genus PLC Genus ABS #sustainableag #sustainablegenetics #sustainability

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In our latest NatureBacked podcast episode, "From Deserts To Dividends," I sat down with Martin Kelly from INNOVO to explore the transformative power of #algae in our fight against climate change. Martin shared insights on: 💚 How algae biorefineries can turn waste CO2 into valuable commodity 💚 The potential of algae to convert barren deserts into fertile lands, revolutionizing agriculture 💚 The role of profit-driven innovation in scaling up clean technologies for a greener future. Did you know? 👨‍🔬👩‍🔬 Algae are not just pond scum; they're a powerhouse in the carbon sequestration battle, capable of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and breaking it down into useful materials. 🐳  They are a key component of the blue carbon ecosystem, playing a vital role in our oceanic and coastal environments 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 Algae-based products range from biofuels to nutraceuticals, showcasing their versatility and economic potential Tune in to discover whether Innovo's mission to halve global greenhouse gas emissions is just a dream — or a profitable reality. 😉 #NaturebackedPodcast #ClimateChange #CleanTech #Sustainability #Innovation

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🌱 Curious how goopy algae becomes the awesome stuff in your favorite gear? Here's the BLOOM process breakdown: 1️⃣ Harvest Time: We work with partners to scoop up excess algae from waterways, helping restore ecosystems while getting our star ingredient. 2️⃣ Squish & Dry: That wet algae gets squeezed and dried into crunchy flakes – think crispy seaweed, but way more useful! 3️⃣ The Power of Powder: Our special processes turn those flakes into green powder, ready to level up your products. 4️⃣ Blend & Transform: We mix the algae powder with other materials to create BLOOM pellets – the building blocks of awesomeness. 5️⃣ Meet Your New Gear: BLOOM pellets get turned into the eco-friendly foams and rubbers that make your shoes comfy, your hats stylish, and the planet a little happier. 👉 Want to see the process in action? Hit up our website for videos and more! 😉 #MadeWithBLOOM #sustainablefashion

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