**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PROTEINS ARE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOR HUMANS/ANIMALS. THERE ARE NINE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAA) WHICH HUMANS MUST OBTAIN FROM THEIR DIETS TO PREVENT PROTEIN MALNUTRITION. MOST FOODS CONTAIN NINE EAA, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN SUFFICIENT QUALITY AND QUANTITY REQUIRED FOR PROTEIN NUTRITION. THUS, HUMANS HAVE TO CONSUME EXCESSIVE PROTEINS FROM VARIOUS FOOD SOURCES TO MEET THE EAA REQUIREMENT. ALTHOUGH EAA DEFICIENCY MAY BE OVERCOME, OVER-CONSUMPTION OF PROTEINS MAY RISK DEVELOPING HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS KIDNEY STONES, OBESITY, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AND CANCERS.AS THE WORLD'S POPULATION INCREASES RAPIDLY AND FOOD RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, IT IS MORE PRESSING THAN EVER TO SEEK ALTERNATIVE, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF QUALITY PROTEINS.THIS SEED PROJECT WILL USE ATMOSPHERIC N2 GAS AS A SOLE NITROGEN SOURCE TO PRODUCE A SPECIALLY DESIGNED, QUALITY NUTRITIONAL PROTEIN THAT IS NOT FOUND IN NATURE. TO OUR BEST KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS PIONEERING RESEARCH ON PRODUCTION OF ALL NINE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAA) SIMULTANEOUSLY, BY INTRODUCING A SINGLE SYNTHETIC GENE CODING FOR EAA-RICH PROTEIN (EARP) INTO A SOLAR-POWERED N2-FIXING CYANOBACTERIA. CERTAINLY, THIS NOVEL APPROACH WITH THE EARP GENE WE CREAT WILL BE PATENTABLE. IF SUCCESSFUL, WE CAN CREATE A MICROBIAL PROTEIN FACTORY TO PRODUCE ANY DESIGNED, HIGH-VALUE, SYNTHETIC PROTEINS FOR MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS. EVENTUALLY, WE MAY TRANSFER THIS EARP GENE TO EDIBLE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE, VEGETABLES, CROPS AND MILK-COW TO PRODUCE FURTHER OPTIMIZED EARP FOR IMPROVING HUMAN/ANIMAL PROTEIN NUTRITION.