In this episode, Gregor Tegl, co-founder of Arkeon, talks about his groundbreaking work in food technology, focusing on turning CO2 into food. Arkeon uses a gas fermentation process to convert CO2 into amino acids and peptides, which are essential nutrients for our health and food system.After obtaining his PhD at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor continued his dedication to environmental biotechnology at the University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada, researching enzymes for the sustainable production of complex macromolecules. His passion for food and sustainable eating ignited a 5+ year long journey of exploring microbes to produce next-generation nutrients and food ingredients.

🎙 Key topics covered:
🔹 What are amino acids and peptides? The building blocks of protein essential for health (4:34).
🔹 Why turning CO2 into food matters: Sustainable and carbon-negative alternative to traditional protein sources (10:00).
🔹 The fermentation process: How CO2 is transformed into amino acids using ancient microbes (13:00).
🔹 Challenges of scaling up: Producing amino acids at scale to meet global demand (18:00).
🔹 Carbon neutrality: How Arkeon is committed to a carbon-neutral production process (21:50).

💡 Gregor’s insights:
🌱 Food production is a major environmental issue, with animal protein being a significant CO2 emitter.
🌱 Arkeon’s fermentation process bypasses the need for agricultural land, providing a GMO-free, vegan, and sustainable alternative.
🌱 The company aims to create a future food system that’s free from animal suffering and resource constraints.

For more on Arkeon, visit:
Website | LinkedIn