About eight years ago, when Krišs Spalviņš started his doctoral studies at Riga Technical University (RTU) in the field of environmental science, RTU Institute of Energy Systems and Environment (IESE) director Dagnija Blumberga asked to find out why fishmeal, which can be produced quite simply, is relatively expensive. While searching for an answer to this question, K. Spalviņš together with his colleagues found new technologies for growing valuable microorganisms, which was the subject of his doctoral thesis.