Microbes and the Next Nitrogen Revolution

The Haber Bosch process is among the greatest inventions of the 20th century. It provided agriculture with reactive, nitrogen-and ultimately-marildrid with nourishment for a population of 7 billion people. However, the, present agricultural practice of growing crops for animal production and human food constitutes 2.major'threat to the sustainability of the planet in terms of reactive nitrogen pollution. In view of the shortage of directly feasible and cost-effective measure -8 to avoid these-planetary nitrogen burdens and the necessity to remediate this :problem,. we foresee the absolute need for, and expect a revolution in the use of microbes as a source of protein. Bypassing land based-agricultUre-through direct use of Haber Bosch produced nitrogen for reactor based production of microbial-protein can be an inspiring concept for the production 'of high quality proteinaceous products for human food; without Significant nitrogen losses to the engineering to safegilardieed and food supply for the generations to come. [GRAPHICS]