Microbiological synthesis of protein. State of the problem and developmental trends.

While the share of protein from unicellular organisms is but a small fraction of total protein production, the methods of microbiologic production appear rather promising and have been greatly developed in the last 10-15 years. The author discusses technologic methods for obtaining protein from unicellular organisms, questions of selecting the raw material and the producers used in these processes, and the fields for use of the product obtained. The range of suitable taxonomic groups of microorganisms and of substrates for these processes has lately been broadened. Attention has been focussed on the use of renewable feedstock and of industrial wastes (cellulose-containing materials, etc.). Use of the latter for microbiologic synthesis could produce enough protein to make up for the global deficit in protein. The author also discusses questions of improving, enlarging, and automating the equipment suitable for these processes.