Yeast/Algae/Flesh Closed Loop Environment System
Algae in the form of a heavily genetically modified Spirulina like strain is used. The Spirulina derivative has a density of 86 grams per liter of water necessary. This is worse than some projections of other strains density wise but the tradeoff was made due to the excellent nutritional capabilities. The algae is also necessary for oxygen production, waste removal, and CO2 removal. The algae produces 95 liters of oxygen per liter of algae per day, removes 113 liters of CO2 and various other toxins per day per liter, and each liter can removes the bio-waste of a single person per day. This strain contains all of the amino acids necessary for daily living, and in the correct quantities per volume available. It also contains about 21% protein, 39% carbohydrates, 9% starches, 14% non-saturated fats, and 17% necessary vitamins,minerals, and amino acids. While this algae is very nutritious it lacks in the flavor department, even after extensive modification. It is perfectly edible and taste wise not all that unagreeable (including after it is run through flavoring processes, which are very successful) it becomes boring and some find it unstomachable. So the bulk of this algae is feed to an assorted mix of fish in high density tanks, and this provides the luxury of fresh meats to the crew. The fish themselves also provide waste which in turn is harvested and used to provide nutrients to a hydroponic system that grows spices and vegetables.

The heavily modified yeast comes in as the bulk of the diet. It is actually not one form of yeast but multiple strains, each containing a distinct texture and flavor set once put through the correct manufacturing process. These yeasts are highly popular as they very closely imitate Terra foods in both flavor and texture, and they generally exceed the nutritional value of these foods. Although the yeast does not lack nutritionally the bulk of nutrition is provided by the algae is to prevent deficiencies. The yeast produces between 67 and 81 grams dry weight per liter per day of the specific flavor set depending on the strain. There is a master strain of yeast grown which while holding no specific flavors has the traits for all sets so in case of losses they can be line breed back again, it also provides necessary genetic variance and a good base stock for food supplements. A problem was encountered with the yeast producing so much CO2 so a solution was required. This solution was two fold, one was to line breed all of the yeast forms to have lower CO2 emissions while not effecting any necessary traits. The next step was creating a high production and removal algae.

This algae's sole purpose was extremely high oxygen production rates and very good CO2 scrubbing. The consumption rate of CO2 is 237 liters per day per liter. For this consumption it produces 214 liters of oxygen per liter per day. This algae is often kept in specialized containers in personal quarters to produce fresh air and keep stagnant air away. It is also a pleasant green and red color due to its mixed heritage of CO2 consuming red algae and CO2 consuming green algae. Due to its specific purpose breeding the algae contains nearly no nutritional value and in some cases can be toxic for consumption.
Stats-

Food Algae (per liter of sustainable growth each day)
Growth: 86 grams(dry mass)
Oxygen Production: 95 liters of Oxygen
Toxin Scrubbing: 113 liters of CO2 and other toxins removed
Waste Removal: All bio-waste of a single human

Yeast (per liter of sustainable growth each day)
Comes in beef, chicken, pork, assorted fruits, assorted vegetables, and fish variants
Growth: 67-81 grams(dry mass)
Oxygen Production: 43 liters of Oxygen

Scrubbing Algae (per liter of sustainable growth each day)
Growth: 6 grams (dry mass
Oxygen Production: 214 liters of Oxygen
Toxin Scrubbing: 237 liters of CO2 and other toxins removed




OOC: I am thinking about using clams and crabs also in the algae system as I know the clams will not only filter water but remove calcium and a few other things from it. Also as to the fish I am unsure of numbers for it, so any help would be welcome.

Sorry, but... What is this?

It is a closed environment system. I believe another term is life support? It means that the oxygen production, CO2 removal, and food production are self-sustaining so no outside resources are needed.

orly

I had to have at least a little bit of wankery....I did get it right though didnt I? I am fairly sure its a eucaryote, and from my basic yeast knowledge that is why they produce CO2.

But correct me if I am wrong.

Aha. I heard of these kinds of things before. So basically you put this on a spaceship or planet that you want to colonise, and you have yourself a neat little piece of artifarcial earth itself? Sounds useful. Always nice to see some FT stuff that is actually (sort of) practical.

From what I learned in my biology lessons, Carbon Dioxide is a key part for life to sustain. CO2 is everywhere around you in the air, along with oxygen and I believe something else. (What was it again? EDIT: Nitrogen, I believe... :unsure: )

Without CO2, plants can not live. And neither can animals (and humans) IIRC, but I might be wrong on that.

A eukaryote is just an organism with a cellular structure containing discrete organelles separated by membranes and doesn't really have anything to do with metabolism.

Yeast produces CO2 because it metabolizes oxygen and carbon containing molecules for energy through cellular respiration (oxidation of sugar molecules).

You can't react oxygen and sugar to produce energy without getting a carbon oxide as a byproduct.

I tried to stay as realistic as possible with this system. It is all based off of real tests and even existing systems minus the textures and flavors of the specific organisms. That is just me wanking hopeful future genetic mastery.

The algae systems actually already exist for closed loop environments, it is just that FT calls for more compact versions. Besides, I like the idea of using living things to provide for my crew, its a little more fun and realistic then wanked up or just nonexistent life support.

No amount of 'future genetic mastery' will ever allow yeast to turn carbon directly into energy, which is basically what you'd have to do in order for yeast not to produce CO2.

humans are eucaryotes. amoabae are prokaryotes.

so you can turn humans in to amoeba eh

That is not what I am saying, I am saying that instead of producing CO2 as waste it produces Oxygen. It still consumes sugars and such, the only change was what waste it produces. Heck, it can shit carbon just to satisfy that part for all I care.

fu3l does not consider shit waste

intriguing

What you propose is a very non-trivial change. The only way organisms can naturally do that is through photosynthesis.

So now you're just magically breaking apart sugars and extracting free energy from the chemical bonds. it still doesn't work like that.


To break apart sugars and get the juicy energy out, you have to react them with oxygen from the environment. That reaction is basically:
6(O2)+(C6H12O6)--->6(CO2)+6(H2O)+Energy
The whole reaction is based on the diatomic oxygen binding up to the carbon atoms, if that doesn't happen, you don't have a reaction. In fact, you don't have anything, just molecules of oxygen bouncing off sugar molecules doing absolutely nothing.

To get free oxygen (oxygen not hooked up to carbon atoms) out, you have to put energy in (which is how photosynthesis works, by using energy from sunlight)

To put it simple:

Every substance has chemical composition and heat of enthalpy. Simply put, "power level". It can be negative or positive, but the total energy remains the same.

For the purposes of this, let's take a related figure E for each substance. In any reaction, E1+E2+...+Heat remains the same.
Oxygen and combustibles have E>0.
CO2 and water has E<0.

Turning O2+C into CO2 produces energy. The reverse takes energy. Only reactions that produce energy occur naturally. Others need an energy source.

So for me to counteract the CO2 production I either have to just use more algae or just not use yeast? This is inconvenient in space.....hmmm.

I guess I haven't calculated in the scrubbing from the hydro plants but then again I also haven't calculated in the CO2 production from the fish.

As long as your crew likes algae...

That's not how chemistry works

Even in a 'closed' system you will need an energy source. In nature it is the sun. On a spaceship you can use electric systems to speed up the process, eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxid..._removal_system

Edited, added another type of algae and created necessary changes.

A problem I am seeing is that while the nutritional needs of each human would be met per liter (as far as I know) there is not enough oxygen being produced or CO2 removed to create safe environment. I believe it is something like 440 liters of C02 is produced and around 550liters of pure oxygen are necessary. That is alot more than a single liter does.

Lettuce right now is the preferred crop for the Mars Greenhouse. It produces oxygen through photosynthesis, water through transpiration, and you can eat it with 19 crops a year. I don't think Algae is something you can eat that easily. This is a bit on NASA' s proposed space greenhouse
http://news.discovery.com/space/greenhouse...d-in-space.html