Necessity and Concept of the Closed Transplant Production System

Abstract

We are requested to develop a concept, a methodology and an industry to solve the global issues on environmental pollution and shortages of food, feed, phytomass (plant biomass) and natural resources including fossil fuels and usable water. These issues are considered to become more and more serious on a larger scale in the forthcoming decades. In order to solve those issues in the 21st Century, billions of plants are required every year not only for food, feed and environment conservation, but also for alternative raw materials to produce energy, bio-degradable plastics and many other industrial products. By using plant-derived products, we can minimize the environmental pollution and the use of fossil fuels and atomic power. Then, we need billions of quality transplants (small plants) every year to be grown in the fields with maximum use of solar energy and minimum use of resources under harsh environmental conditions. These quality transplants can be produced only under carefully controlled environments. Bioengineering is expected to provide a useful concept and a methodology to develop the bioindustry for solving the above global issues substantially. In bioengineering, the global and local flows of energy, mass (or materials) and information are analyzed with special attention to the organic and inorganic metabolisms of plants, animals including humans and microorganisms. Concept of ‘closed-type or closed production systems’ is essential to develop a production system with minimum use of resources and with minimum environmental pollution. This concept can be applied to develop a closed-type transplant production system with artificial lighting for producing billions of quality transplants with minimum use of resources and with minimum environmental pollution. Research and development of the closed transplant production systems will create a new field of bioengineering and bioindustry.