Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “FOOD PROCESSING”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Renewable Energy for Industrial Environmental Management

Costs for renewable energy technologies have declined rapidly in the past decade and their use for residential, commercial, and utility scale electricity has grown exponentially as they become cost competitive. Simultaneously, industrial and manufacturing processes have been increasingly seeking ways to reduce emissions and operational costs in highly competitive sectors. With these combined drivers of lower cost and reduced environmental impact, renewable energy may become a viable energy provider for industrial processes such as oil and gas, mining, chemical refining, food production, and manufacturing. Renewable energy technologies may also partner with other reduced emission energy sources, such as small modular nuclear reactors and carbon capture and utilization, to create cleaner and circular industrial systems for reduced resource use. The Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA), which is a partnership of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and five universities and others, has been studying to potential for application of clean energy technologies to the heterogenous energy demands in industry. Dr. Jill Engel-Cox will present an overview of NREL and JISEA, the status and potential future of renewable energy technologies, and collaborations with the oil and gas industry and other industrial sectors to improve their environmental performance and reduce operational costs.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Developments in algal processing

Macroalgae and microalgae, including cyanobacteria, are primarily photosynthetic organisms grown for the production of renewable biomass for foods, feedstocks, and high-value specialty chemicals. While there are differences in cultivating and harvesting macro- and microalgae due to scale, many of the same downstream techniques can be used for processing algal biomass. This chapter will outline various developments in processing technologies used for the treatment of algal biomass with discussion of scalability, cost, time, and efficacy. Topics will cover methods for harvesting and dewatering algae, drying algal biomass, biomass disruption, and nutrient recovery, including case studies with lessons learned. Here, the final section presents biomass applications and product considerations. While there is no universally-adopted approach for processing algal biomass, these studies provide the foundation for making informed decisions, considering the unique properties of the algae and the integrity of the desired end products.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

An outbreak of renal failure in asian dogs due to s-triazine adulteration of pet food raw material: Analysis of unique, green kidney stones formed as a result

Renoliths were removed at necropsy from dogs that had died from acute kidney injury in Asia in 2004 and submitted to our laboratories for analysis including elemental composition, mass spectrometry, and microprobe analysis. The presence of a mixed s-triazine matrix comprising melamine, cyanuric acid, and ammelide, but no detectable ammeline, was found in the stone samples we analyzed. The unusual and unique green coloration of these stones was determined to be due to the presence of biliverdin. The occurrence of these green stones distinguished the 2004 incident from another incident in 2007 in the USA and other reported cases. The presence of crystals was reported in renal tubules and collecting ducts in both outbreaks, but no stones were reported in the 2007 incident. Here, this difference suggested a variation in the disease process caused by mixed s- triazine ingestion. Careful monitoring of food additives is warranted to prevent future problems in animals and humans.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coordination and divergence in community assembly processes across co-occurring microbial groups separated by cell size

Setting the pace of life and constraining the role of members in food webs, body size can affect the structure and dynamics of communities across multiple scales of biological organization (e.g., from the individual to the ecosystem). However, its effects on shaping microbial communities, as well as underlying assembly processes, remain poorly known. Here, we analyzed microbial diversity in the largest urban lake in China and disentangled the ecological processes governing microbial eukaryotes and prokaryotes using 16S and 18S amplicon sequencing. We found that pico/nano-eukaryotes (0.22–20 μm) and micro-eukaryotes (20–200 μm) showed significant differences in terms of both community composition and assembly processes even though they were characterized by similar phylotype diversity. We also found scale dependencies whereby micro-eukaryotes were strongly governed by environmental selection at the local scale and dispersal limitation at the regional scale. Interestingly, it was the micro-eukaryotes, rather than the pico/nano-eukaryotes, that shared similar distribution and community assembly patterns with the prokaryotes. This indicated that assembly processes of eukaryotes may be coupled or decoupled from prokaryotes’ assembly processes based on eukaryote cell size. While the results support the important influence of cell size, there may be other factors leading to different levels of assembly process coupling across size classes. Additional studies are needed to quantitatively parse the influence of cell size versus other factors as drivers of coordinated and divergent community assembly processes across microbial groups. Regardless of the governing mechanisms, our results show that there are clear patterns in how assembly processes are coupled across sub-communities defined by cell size. These size-structured patterns could be used to help predict shifts in microbial food webs in response to future disturbance.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Linking Hydrobiogeochemical Processes and Management Techniques to Close Nutrient Loops in an Arid River

In this study, we explore opportunities to optimize food-energy-water (FEW) resources by closing nutrient loops in arid-land rivers. Specifically, we evaluate source and sink behavior of nitrogen as nitrate (NO 3 -N) in three characteristic channels in the Middle Rio Grande Basin (Delivery and Drain channels associated with agriculture and the main channel of the Rio Grande). All three channels are located downstream of a large wastewater treatment plant that is the main contributor of nutrients to this reach of the Rio Grande. We used a mass balance approach paired with stable isotope analysis to determine sources and processing of NO 3 -N within the channels over time (a year) and through space (along ~15 to 50 km reaches). Results indicated the growing season was an important period of sink behavior for the Delivery channel and the Rio Grande, but the Drain channel was a year-round source. Stable isotope analysis of 15 N and 18 O found a distinct nitrate signature in the Drain associated with biological processing, as well as Rio Grande sites impacted by agricultural outflow, but no equivalent signature was present in the Delivery channel. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations to help close nutrient loops in the study system and analogous aridland irrigation networks by 1) minimizing loss during the transfer of nutrients from wastewater facilities to agricultural areas, and 2) minimizing enrichment to downstream aquatic ecosystems by sequestering nutrients that escape the nutrient loop.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of drought on global food security by 2050

Drought is a major driver of crop production loss, threatening global food security as the population rises toward 9 billion by 2050. Using a process-based crop model within an Earth system model, we assess drought-related impacts on maize, soybean, rice, and wheat production at global and country levels. We then develop a food insecurity index combining drought impacts with socio-economic factors. Our results indicate that by 2050, globally averaged drought losses for combined maize, soybean, rice, and wheat production are <2%, though soybean losses reach 3.6%. Despite these small average changes at the global scale, 62 countries experience maximum production losses over 10%, and 24 countries over 20%. Our index identifies regions at greatest risk, including large parts of South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. These results illustrate the need for drought adaptation to mitigate future drought impacts on crop production.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accounting for herbaceous communities in process‐based models will advance our understanding of “grassy” ecosystems

Abstract Grassland and other herbaceous communities cover significant portions of Earth's terrestrial surface and provide many critical services, such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and food production. Forecasts of global change impacts on these services will require predictive tools, such as process‐based dynamic vegetation models. Yet, model representation of herbaceous communities and ecosystems lags substantially behind that of tree communities and forests. The limited representation of herbaceous communities within models arises from two important knowledge gaps: first, our empirical understanding of the principles governing herbaceous vegetation dynamics is either incomplete or does not provide mechanistic information necessary to drive herbaceous community processes with models; second, current model structure and parameterization of grass and other herbaceous plant functional types limits the ability of models to predict outcomes of competition and growth for herbaceous vegetation. In this review, we provide direction for addressing these gaps by: (1) presenting a brief history of how vegetation dynamics have been developed and incorporated into earth system models, (2) reporting on a model simulation activity to evaluate current model capability to represent herbaceous vegetation dynamics and ecosystem function, and (3) detailing several ecological properties and phenomena that should be a focus for both empiricists and modelers to improve representation of herbaceous vegetation in models. Together, empiricists and modelers can improve representation of herbaceous ecosystem processes within models. In so doing, we will greatly enhance our ability to forecast future states of the earth system, which is of high importance given the rapid rate of environmental change on our planet.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structural evolution during gelation of pea and whey proteins envisaged by time-resolved ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering (USAXS)

Hydrogels from plant proteins commonly exhibit inferior gel strength compared to those from dairy proteins partially due to their distinct gel networks. How protein aggregates to form such networks in response to heat remains largely unknown. In this work, pea (PPI) and whey (WPI) protein isolate gels were produced at the same protein content and similar heating/cooling rate. The process was monitored using rheology, microscopy and in situ ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering (USAXS). Rheology showed an initial decrease in G' and G'' in PPI followed by a steady increase when the temperature surpassed ~60 °C whereas a much higher temperature (~80 °C) was required for WPI, both using 2 °C/min heating rate. Microscopy showed a coarse and heterogenous network in PPI, whereas for WPI, the network was finer and more continuous. In both gels, nano-sized spherical or ellipsoidal particles were present as the basic constituents. USAXS found individual protein was dominant in PPI or WPI solution at temperature below 57 °C. Their proportions decreased together with appearance of aggregates with an average R g of 9–10 nm in PPI and 6–7 nm in WPI at higher temperature. The size of the aggregates changed slightly during further heating and cooling, but their proportions increased. Power law exponents revealed the aggregates were mass fractals for WPI and PPI gels, and they became more compact during heating. Our findings suggested formation of primary aggregates in protein gel networks is a more organized process and provided theoretical guidance for production of high protein food gels with desirable texture.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stoichiometric Ecotoxicology for a Multisubstance World

Nutritional and contaminant stressors influence organismal physiology, trophic interactions, community structure, and ecosystem-level processes; however, the interactions between toxicity and elemental imbalance in food resources have been examined in only a few ecotoxicity studies. Integrating well-developed ecological theories that cross all levels of biological organization can enhance our understanding of ecotoxicology. In the present article, we underline the opportunity to couple concepts and approaches used in the theory of ecological stoichiometry (ES) to ask ecotoxicological questions and introduce stoichiometric ecotoxicology, a subfield in ecology that examines how contaminant stress, nutrient supply, and elemental constraints interact throughout all levels of biological organization. This conceptual framework unifying ecotoxicology with ES offers potential for both empirical and theoretical studies to deepen our mechanistic understanding of the adverse outcomes of chemicals across ecological scales and improve the predictive powers of ecotoxicology.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Discrete Element Method Analysis for Metal Powders Used in Additive Manufacturing, and DEM Simulation Tutorial Using LIGGGHTS-PUBLIC [PowerPoint and paper]

Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a method of analysis to evaluate the dynamic interactions between granular particles. This method has been used in the pharmaceutical industry to improve the powder compaction process for tablet manufacturing. There are also applications in agriculture, food industry, and manufacturing. Direct energy deposition is an additive manufacturing technique which uses metallic powders fed through a nozzle, melted using a directed laser, and transformed into a solid object layer by layer. One way of feeding metal particles into the system involves the use of a vibrating hopper. Given a specified amplitude and frequency input, the hopper will enable the powder to travel up a path, and inject through the system with assistance from a stream of gas. The mechanical properties of a printed object can vary, depending on the characteristics of the powder flow and the particles’ as-received properties. Improved understanding of dynamic interactions of flowing powders could enable additive manufacturing components with 2D or 3D variations in mechanical properties, e.g., density. This work uses DEM simulation software to investigate the effects of particle cohesion, friction, and density on the quality of the flow by performing an angle of repose simulation, which is often used as a metric to evaluate the flowability of powders.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

CO2 Electrolyzer to Produce Formic Acid Using Flue Gas at Industry Relevant Current Density

The electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable fuels and feedstocks has gained great attention recently due to the global urgency to mitigate the rapid climate change. A wide variety of chemicals can be obtained through the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Among all the chemicals generated through CO2RR, formic acid has attracted great interest because of its wide applications in silage preservation in agriculture, as an antibacterial agent in animal food additives, as a chemical additive in leather and tanning processing, as a chemical component in textile dyeing and finishing, as a reagent in pharmaceutical and chemical synthesis, and as deicing agents and a component in drilling fluids. Recently, the use of formic acid as a feedstock for biorefineries has also attracted increasing interest.

Yang, Hongzhou↗
DOE OSTI2024

Edible mycelium bioengineered for enhanced nutritional value and sensory appeal using a modular synthetic biology toolkit

Filamentous fungi are critical in the transition to a more sustainable food system. While genetic modification of these organisms has promise for enhancing the nutritional value, sensory appeal, and scalability of fungal foods, genetic tools and demonstrated use cases for bioengineered food production by edible strains are lacking. Here, we develop a modular synthetic biology toolkit for Aspergillus oryzae, an edible fungus used in fermented foods, protein production, and meat alternatives. Our toolkit includes a CRISPR-Cas9 method for gene integration, neutral loci, and tunable promoters. We use these tools to elevate intracellular levels of the nutraceutical ergothioneine and the flavor-and color molecule heme in the edible biomass. The strain overproducing heme is red in color and is readily formulated into imitation meat patties with minimal processing. These findings highlight the promise of synthetic biology to enhance fungal foods and provide useful genetic tools for applications in food production and beyond.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sandwich-structured paper composite with water and oil resistance for food packaging and tableware applications

The growing environmental challenges posed by plastic waste from disposable tableware highlight the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Traditional plastics decompose over centuries, generating microplastics that threaten ecosystems and human health. While lignin has emerged as a promising material for plastic replacement, its inherent dark brown color and processing challenges in paper-based products have limited its application, particularly in food-contact materials. Here, to address these limitations, we have developed biodegradable sandwich-structured paper composites comprising parchment paper as surface layers and a lignin-polymer core with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polylactic acid (PLA). This innovative structure eliminates the need for binders, minimizing potential food contamination, and enables direct application as packaging or molded tableware. Lignin micro- and nano-particles (LMNP) enhances durability and provides natural water and oil resistance without harmful additives, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), while PVA and PLA improve the composite's tenacity. The resulting material, composed of 65 wt% lignin, demonstrates excellent water and oil resistance, with no penetration exceeding 1 h, and exhibits enhanced tensile strength (45 MPa), making it a viable and eco-friendly alternative for disposable tableware.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Recycling of a post-industrial printed multilayer plastic film containing polyurethane inks by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation

The recently reported Solvent-Targeted Recovery And Precipitation (STRAP) strategy is used to deconstruct multilayer plastic packaging films into their constituent resins by selective polymer dissolution. To broaden the applicability of STRAP, we demonstrate the process with a flexible post-industrial printed multilayer plastic film used for food packaging. The material was a reverse printed film composed of polyethylene (PE), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyurethane (PU)-based inks. Removal of all colors was observed with biomass-derived gamma-valerolactone (GVL) and the recovered polymers possessed comparable properties to the corresponding virgin resins. A technoeconomic analysis indicates that this STRAP process could be economically feasible at a processing capacity of 6,000 tons per year. Furthermore, the production of plastic films with materials recovered by this STRAP process can have a lower climate change impact than the production of films from virgin polymers.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

The spore coat is essential for Bacillus subtilis spore resistance to pulsed light, and pulsed light treatment eliminates some spore coat proteins

Microbial surface contamination of equipment or of food contact material is a recurring problem in the food industry. Spore-forming bacteria are far more resistant to a wide variety of treatments than their vegetative forms. Understanding the mechanisms underlying decontamination processes is needed to improve surface decontamination strategies against endospores potentially at the source of foodborne diseases or food-spoilage. Pulsed light (PL) with xenon lamps delivers high-energy short-time pulses of light with wavelengths in the range 200 nm-1100 nm and a high UV-C fraction. Bacillus subtilis spores were exposed to either PL or to continuous UV-C. Gel electrophoresis and western blotting revealed elimination of various proteins of the spore coat, an essential outer structure that protects spores from a wide variety of environmental conditions and inactivation treatments. Proteomic analysis confirmed the elimination of some spore coat proteins after PL treatment. Transmission electron microscopy of PL treated spores revealed a gap between the lamellar inner spore coat and the outer spore coat. Overall, spores of mutant strains with defects in genes coding for spore coat proteins were more sensitive to PL than to continuous UV-C. This study demonstrates that radiations delivered by PL contribute to specific damage to the spore coat, and overall to spore inactivation. Keywords Decontamination, UV, proteins, proteomics, microscopy Journal Pre-proof

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

CO 2 fertilization of crops offsets yield losses due to future surface ozone damage and climate change

Tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) is harmful to plant productivity and negatively impacts crop yields. O3 concentrations are projected to decrease globally in the optimistic Representative Concentration Pathway of 2.6 W m –2 (RCP2.6) but increase globally following the high-emission scenario under the RCP8.5, with substantial implications for global food security. The damaging effect of O 3 on future crop yield is affected by CO 2 fertilization and climate change, and their interactions for RCP scenarios have yet to be quantified. In this study, we used the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator modified to include crops (JULES-crop) to quantify the impacts, and relative importance of present-day and future O3, CO 2 concentration and meteorology on crop production at the regional scale until 2100 following RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios. We focus on eight major crop-producing regions that cover the production of wheat, soybean, maize, and rice. Our results show that CO 2 alone has the largest effect on regional yields, followed by climate and O 3 . However, the CO 2 fertilization effect is offset by the negative impact of tropospheric O 3 in regions with high O 3 concentrations, such as South Asia and China. Simulated crop yields in 2050 were compared with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics to investigate the differences between a socioeconomic and a biophysical process-based approach. Results showed that FAO estimates are closer to our JULES-crop RCP8.5 scenario. This study demonstrates that air pollution could be the biggest threat to future food production and highlights an urgent policy need to mitigate the threat of climate change and O 3 pollution on food security.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Valorization of mullet roe by‐products for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids rich oils

Abstract This work examines the potential valorization of mullet roe by‐products for the production of mullet roe oil using mild processes. Three different extraction methods with potential of scale‐up for the food industry, namely pressure (PE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and solvent extraction (SE) are examined. Mild temperature conditions to prevent oil oxidation and (wherever applicable) food‐grade solvents are used. The oil yield, the composition of oils in fatty acids by GC‐FID, the level of oil oxidation (peroxide value (PV), p‐anisidine value (AV), K 232 K 268 , TOTOX)) and the antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS) are determined. SE provided the highest oil recovery, followed by SFE and PE (68%, 28% and 10% respectively). The extracted oils had a high concentration of EPA and DHA and a total of 20.7%–24.3% of identified PUFAs among the fatty acids. Oxidation was the lowest in the SFE extracted oil followed by PE, PV was <2.5 meq O2 , AV≤10 and TOTOX <15 in all examined oil samples. Further research is needed to optimize processing conditions for the increase in oil recovery.

Kalogianni, Eleni P.↗
DOE OSTI2025

A roadmap to understanding and anticipating microbial gene transfer in soil communities

Engineered microbes are being programmed using synthetic DNA for applications in soil to overcome global challenges related to climate change, energy, food security, and pollution. However, we cannot yet predict gene transfer processes in soil to assess the frequency of unintentional transfer of engineered DNA to environmental microbes when applying synthetic biology technologies at scale. This challenge exists because of the complex and heterogeneous characteristics of soils, which contribute to the fitness and transport of cells and the exchange of genetic material within communities. Here, we describe knowledge gaps about gene transfer across soil microbiomes. Here, we propose strategies to improve our understanding of gene transfer across soil communities, highlight the need to benchmark the performance of biocontainment measures in situ, and discuss responsibly engaging community stakeholders. We highlight opportunities to address knowledge gaps, such as creating a set of soil standards for studying gene transfer across diverse soil types and measuring gene transfer host range across microbiomes using emerging technologies. By comparing gene transfer rates, host range, and persistence of engineered microbes across different soils, we posit that community-scale, environment-specific models can be built that anticipate biotechnology risks. Such studies will enable the design of safer biotechnologies that allow us to realize the benefits of synthetic biology and mitigate risks associated with the release of such technologies.

bioccontainment↗