FOOD DEMAND IS GROWING GLOBALLY, HOWEVER FOOD PRODUCTION IS ULTIMATELY CONSTRAINED BY THE AMOUNT OF ARABLE LAND ON THE PLANET. CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE IS ALSO RESOURCE INTENSIVE AND HAS AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. TO CONTINUE TO FEED OUR GROWING POPULATION, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL YIELDS.CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTAL AGRICULTURE (CEA), IN WHICH CROPS ARE GROWN IN A CONTROLLED HYDROPONIC INDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH VERTICALLY STACKED GROW AREAS, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE MORE FOOD WITH FEWER RESOURCES IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY. HOWEVER, CEA IS VERY ENERGY INTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE. THE ELECTRICITY NEEDED TO RUN THE GROW LIGHTS FOR CEA IS ITS LARGEST ENERGETIC AND FINANCIAL COST.THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO REDUCE THE COST OF CEA AND INCREASE ITS PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH FERTIGATION AND MIXOTROPHIC GROWTH. THE CONTROLLED NATURE OF CEA PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES TO USE FERTIGATION, A METHOD OF PROVIDING PLANTS WITH NUTRIENTS THROUGH THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEM. PLANTS GROWN IN CEA COULD BE FERTIGATED WITH NON-STANDARD NUTRIENT MIXES SUCH AS FERMENTED WASTEWATER OR EVEN GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL CHEMICAL ENERGY SOURCE TO INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION, AND REDUCE THE LIGHT REQUIREMENTS, ELECTRICITY NEEDS, AND COSTS OF CEA.FERMENTED WASTEWATER IS RICH IN KEY PLANT NUTRIENTS LIKE NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SECONDARY WEAK ACIDS IN FERMENTED WASTEWATER THAT CAN INHIBIT PLANT GROWTH, THE MOST PREVALENT WEAK ACID BEING ACETIC ACID. TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE FERMENTED WASTEWATER AS A CHEAP AND SUSTAINABLE CROP NUTRIENT SOURCE, PLANTS NEED TO BE BRED OR ENGINEERED TO BE MORE TOLERANT OF WEAK ACIDS LIKE ACETATE OR IDEALLY PLANTS WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTIVELY USE ACETATE AS A CHEMICAL ENERGY SOURCE.THIS RESEARCH WILL EXPERIMENT WITH POTENTIAL YIELD BENEFITS FROM MIXOTROPHIC GROWTH(BOTH LIGHT AND CHEMICAL ENERGY) AND USE GENETIC ENGINEERING AND MUTANT SCREENING TO UNDERSTAND PLANT ACETATE TOLERANCE AND PRODUCE A PLANT LINE THAT CAN BOTH TOLERATE AND UTILIZE ACETATE FOR ENERGY. THIS WOULD GIVE FERMENTED WASTE WATER A USEFUL APPLICATION AS A NUTRIENT AND ENERGY SOURCE TO PRODUCE FOOD WHILE REDUCING THE COSTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CEA.