At present, the Canadian version of the Deep House Meals Problem introduced the grand prize winner for its years-long competitors to find new options to feed astronauts on long-term house missions.
The winner is a meals manufacturing system co-developed by Canadian firms Ecoation and Maia Farms. The system, referred to as CANGrow, grows several types of contemporary meals, together with strawberries and cherry tomatoes, and in addition creates mycelium-derived protein utilizing Maia Farms’ biomass fermentation know-how. In line with the Canadian House Company, the CANGrow creators will obtain $380,000 in prize cash.
During the last three years, numerous semifinalists and finalists within the Canadian version of the Deep House Meals Problem introduced system ideas for producing protein utilizing algae, bugs, or mycelium (fungal) as the first supply. One of many causes I believe CANGrow gained all of it is its means to supply each plant-based proteins by way of biomass fermentation AND contemporary produce. Astronauts will want a full vary of vitamins whereas up in house for years at a time, and a system that produces each veggies and protein is a fairly compelling idea.
The CANGrow system has 5 develop chambers, 4 of that are devoted to rising crops utilizing LED lighting for photosynthesis and a UV-treated hydroponic system for environment friendly watering. The fifth chamber is a small bioreactor that produces mycelium-derived protein utilizing a biomass fermentation course of developed by Maia Farms.
If having two Canadian startups co-develop the CANGrow system wasn’t Canadian sufficient, in accordance with Ecoation and Maia Farms, the system additionally incorporates accelerated composting know-how from Lomi, a sensible composting system developed by British Columbia-based startup Pela.
If you happen to’re questioning who the winner is for the NASA/US version of the Deep House Meals Problem, you’ll have to attend a bit. In line with the timeline from NASA and the Deep House Meals Problem, the winners of the grand prize for the NASA problem nonetheless have but to bear simulation coaching in NASA’s Starlab Floor Lab, which is able to happen this summer time. After the methods are examined by way of simulated flight testing, the winner will likely be introduced in August of this yr.
