Alternative meat products can mimic a juicy, bleeding burger or simulate crispy bacon, but they often rely on soy or pea protein to get the job done.

In October, a Bay Area startup introduced an alternative: a type of protein that can be produced out of thin air.

The company, appropriately named Air Protein, uses a technique discovered by NASA to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into protein the same way plants do. Its CEO, Lisa Dyson, thinks that process will be less deleterious to natural resources than other plant-based meat alternatives. She told the San Francisco Chronicle that her protein-making process requires 1,000 times less land and water than soybean production.