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Provisions From Pond Water? Researchers Leverage Biomanufacturing to Produce Food
As part of DARPA’s Cornucopia program, APL is examining how to use alternative sources of water to produce sustenance.
Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Craig Weiman
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, are exploring a new approach to producing food on demand with unconventional materials. Through the Feedstocks for Food Production (FFP) project, which is supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), APL is investigating ways to grow edible microbial food by harnessing nonpotable water.
With potential implications for military operations in remote or austere environments around the world, the effort leverages biomanufacturing capabilities to address the constraints of traditional supply logistics — simultaneously offering a scalable solution to sustaining operations in resource-constrained settings, said Collin Timm, the project’s principal investigator.
“Think about how long it takes to grow grain to produce wheat,” said Timm, who also serves as chief scientist for the Physical and Life Systems Branch in APL’s Asymmetric Operations Sector. “It takes time to plant the material, let it grow, harvest it, process it and then make it into something consumable. But what if we had a way to make food quickly and with whatever water is available? That’s the type of technology we’re progressing toward.”
A critical component of this work is the “feedstock,” or the raw material used to produce something more useful.
“Feedstock is usually something of low value that we can turn into something of high value,” said Timm. “In the case of water, dirty dishwater and bathwater are examples of low-value feedstock, but if we’re able to use it to help produce an emergency ration, that’s a high-value product.”
APL researchers John Sittman and Leah Talbott investigate ways to grow microbial food by harvesting nonpotable water.
Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Craig Weiman
Fluid Options
This effort supports DARPA’s Cornucopia program, an initiative to build systems that turn simple resources — water, air and electricity — into food. Under Cornucopia, researchers are exploring the nuances of producing food on demand when potable water is limited — or unavailable.
“We’re talking about seawater, pond water and any other water used during operations in a field-forward scenario,” said Timm. “All of the dirty water — or ‘gray water’ — produced by a military installation could be redirected into a process to make microbial foods.”
By simultaneously examining multiple types of water, FFP researchers are leveraging APL’s expertise and facilities to advance the needs of DARPA.
“Conducting research with both natural and simulated water samples is helping address scalability challenges, allowing for greater flexibility in deploying the technology across various feedstock options,” said Katy Carneal, assistant manager of APL’s Biological and Chemical Sciences program.
The FFP team simulated conditions representative of what someone might see in the field to grow microbes.
Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Craig Weiman
Water Anywhere
Field-forward food production requires significant resources, including large amounts of water to support the necessary chemical and biological processes. And in remote or austere environments, making use of every available resource is critical to minimizing the size, weight and power of technologies. That’s why APL researchers are examining how to use alternative sources of water — or whichever water sources may be operationally available on the front lines — to produce sustenance.
The team includes researchers who are specifically studying this range of water sources to measure the individual impacts on bioproduction efforts. Among their efforts were gathering water samples from the Laboratory’s on-campus pond and the central water line, as well as using synthetic formulas to represent fresh, brackish and gray-water sources.
“We’re trying to characterize and understand differences in the range of water sources,” said Leah Talbott, an environmental scientist at APL. “There’s no way to know exactly what our warfighters will be dealing with in a field-forward scenario, so we want to make sure we understand how to navigate those unique situations.”
Talbott said the water cohort is working to overcome the differences between potential water sources. Some water samples, she explained, are more nutrient-dense, while others may contain higher levels of microbial activity. Each of these factors could affect what can grow with different types of water.
“We want to understand if it’s possible for warfighters to add a small packet of powder to water to make it usable, versus having to bring all the water required to grow a food product at the point of need,” said Talbott.
Members of the Feedstocks for Food Production team. From left: Amelia Rehrig, Kha Le, Collin Timm, Chardon Gonzalez, John Sittmann, Julie Gleason, Hunter Vibbert, Seneca Besting, Sarah Ton, Hannah Severns, Katy Carneal, Mika Helfers and Sarah Herman. Not pictured: Lauren Wagner, Andrea Shepard and Leah Talbott.
Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Craig Weiman
Edible Algae and Microbes
The team also includes scientists focused on microbial food production. The researchers are trying to get different species of algae to grow in different types of water and wastewater conditions, said John Sittmann, a molecular biologist at APL.
“Some might think of this as an unusual concept — like, who’d want to drink their own dishwater?” Sittmann asked. “But it actually has great benefits because it contains levels of nutrients that microorganisms like to eat. There are sources of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus — key components that algae can take advantage of.”
Sittmann and his team are focusing on three types of algae: Chlorella vulgaris, which grows well in freshwater; Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which produces high-value fatty acids; and Ulva lactuca, which can be grown in seawater and is already commonly consumed.
One of the main goals of this effort is to produce microbial food product that delivers the four key macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, fat and fiber.
“In the lab, we have anywhere from 60 to 100 test tubes going at the same time,” said Seneca Bessling, a biologist at APL. “We’re growing different strains of bacteria and algae in different types of water — identifying changes to growth conditions with the goal of increasing the volume or speed of what’s growing.”
The team says these small changes in lab-based growth conditions translate to progress.
“We have a lot of different culturing setups so we can grow our microbes in conditions that would be representative of what someone might see in the field,” said Sittmann. “We can easily modulate light and disturbances — all while the water researchers narrow down the macro- and micronutrient factors in the range of water sources.”
Self-Sustainment in the Field
For field-forward warfighters, these capabilities could eliminate the need to transport food to the front lines. They could also eliminate a potential target for adversaries, as refueling efforts are often vulnerable in transport.
“If there’s a supply chain disruption, this capability would allow our warfighters to use the materials at their disposal to remain nourished,” said Timm. “We envision this capability being able to begin food production within 48 hours of setup. It might not be a five-star meal, but it will hit the correct macronutrient profiles — and that could make all the difference.”
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