A.I.M. Interview: Montana State University's Dr. Keith Cooksey

by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Although veteran research scientist at Montana State University, Dr. Keith Cooksey, describes himself modestly as a biochemist that works with microorganisms, his algal biofuel-driven discoveries from the ’80s and ’90s are still considered state of the art, and continue to influence the work of phycologists today. In fact, his latest breakthrough, which currently is causing a stir in the industry, dates back over 20 years since the idea was first presented.

...Shortly after we returned to the US I saw an advertisement for a meeting where they were looking at what we can do to make oil out of algae. This was in the mid Eighties, and it was a meeting of the Aquatic Species Program group, with invited guests. So I went to it and asked the program manager, “Who’s doing your biochemistry?” And he said, “Well, that’s one of the things we don’t have much of. Why do you ask?” I said, “Because I’m a biochemist that works with algae.”

He said, “Send me a proposal.” So I sent a proposal, It was successful and we entered the field of algal biofuels. We put a post doc and a graduate student on the project, and published three of what turned out to be, if I say so myself, quite important papers from that ASP work.

You developed a technique about that time that has become a standard procedure in phycology, i.e. using Nile Red stain to identify lipid content in algal cells. How did that come about?

There are 71 references in the ASP’s Closeout Document to Nile Red. There was even discussion today at this conference on how valid a Nile Red determination is.

Here’s the story of Nile Red. My wife, who worked in the lab with me, was responsible for our literature searches. One day she found a medical journal with a description of the use of Nile Red to look at starving mammalian cells – which contained droplets of oil – and the droplets got smaller as the cells were starved. And she said, “I bet this will work with algae.”

It was very difficult back then to find a place to buy Nile Red, but we managed to get some from Kodak. So I stained some cells, and I actually said “Eureka!” When I first saw it fluoresce, it was absolutely spectacular!

So, Nile Red wasn’t my idea, though I’m credited with it. It was my wife’s. And we actually got it from somewhere else. But that’s science—using one person’s knowledge to forward the field in another area. Actually, about three years ago I got a call from Dr. Greenspan, the author of that “starvation paper.” He said he was writing to thank me for making him famous, because he’d never had a paper quoted so much, and that it was only quoted because I utilized his technique.

...We found that algal oil depends on how you extract it, and how you measure it. That is still a quite heated topic of discussion. One of the things that I’ve done recently is write an article for the ABO’s Descriptive Language Standards document for algal biofuels. I’m co-chair of that committee with Jim Sears, of A2BE Carbon Capture, as chair. It’s basically about, “What is algal oil?” And the answer depends how you define it, how you extract it, how you analyze it, and how you treat it to make whatever you want out of it.

Most recently you’ve come back to prominence by using baking soda to stimulate lipid accumulation in algae. What’s the story with this?

The talk I gave today showed that some of our old work seems to be very relevant to this industry today.

...And we’re still looking for the reasons why sodium bicarbonate stimulates the production of triacylglycerol. But I think I have an answer, or at least somewhere to start. We already know that if you don’t shut off the cell cycle, you don’t get any accumulation, because although the cells keep making lipid, they continue to use it. So you have to bring them to a point where they’re not going to divide, which is what we do with sodium bicarbonate. Then they’re just going to sit there and make neutral lipid as a storage molecule, because they can’t turn off the light. Neither can they turn off the photosynthetic carbon fixation system, but as they can’t make protein because there’s no nitrogen, neither can they grow, i.e., make new cells.

...For a long time I’ve thought that by the time this industry is really working, algal oil will be too valuable to burn. Any molecule that consists of long chains of carbon atoms, and is similar to a hydrocarbon, we won’t be burning anymore. When we run out of oil, it’s not just the fuel that will be gone, but the entire petrochemical industry will also have to be replaced or we’ll be living in a world without plastics. READ MORE WATCH Video