Algae Are Versatile Organisms. Meet Three NREL Scientists Working to Unlock Their Full Energy Potential

byZia Abdullah (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Algae turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into biochemical energy. These researchers use genetic engineering, analysis, and material science to turn that energy into opportunity.

Food, fertilizer, fuel, pollutant filter —the uses for algae are as diverse as the creative minds studying the organisms every day at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Algae abound in all parts of the world, ranging in size from single-celled organisms to dense forests of kelp.

The more NREL researchers study algae, the clearer their energy potential becomes. Algae grow rapidly, can be farmed in all 50 states, thrive in the open ocean, and turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into biochemical energy. Together, these attributes could enable industry to craft sustainable bioplastics and an estimated 5 billion gallons of low-carbon fuel annually in the United States.

Still, targeted advances are needed to help algal fuels and bioproducts break into the wider commercial market. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), NREL researchers Jianping Yu, Stefanie Van Wychen, and Tao Dong are using scientific and analytical tools to unlock the energy potential of algae.

Jianping Yu: Asking More from Sun-Loving Cyanobacteria

When I was a doctoral student at Michigan State University, I was introduced to a model cyanobacterium that we can study with the tools of genetics to understand photosynthesis. After I got some experience, I came to NREL and started to use cyanobacteria for hydrogen production and other uses.

Stefanie Van Wychen: Counting Algal Carbs—and so Much More

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CAP (combined algal processing) is looking for an integrated approach to maximizing fuel and chemicals production from algae that have different compositions—whether they're high protein, high carbohydrate, or high lipid.

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A process might begin with a dilute acid pretreatment that releases sugars. Then, that's usually followed by an extraction step to pull out the lipids, or fats to make the fuels and bioplastics. That typically leaves a protein-rich cake that can serve as a food or feed ingredient.

Each one of those steps produces something that can go toward a fuel or a value-added product. CAP is really about integrating all of those processes together into one biorefinery pathway. We’ve developed it for microalgae and now we're applying the concept to macroalgae as we move into projects with seaweed and sargassum.

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Tao Dong: Taking the Toxic out of Polyurethane with Algae

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For decades, terrestrial agricultural refineries have been developed and engineered to produce a variety of agricultural products for food, chemicals, and fuels. Here at NREL, we are building on this tradition by leveraging existing technologies and developing new concepts to refine microalgae into fuels and value-added chemicals for different market sectors.

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... we can replace the toxic chemical, increase the bio-based content, and sequester additional carbon dioxide into the final products.

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We have identified that algal lipids, which have high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, are preferred feedstocks for NIPU foam production regarding reactivity. We have demonstrated the production of algae-based NIPU foams, and we have been characterizing them in terms of tensile strength and thermal conductivity for a wide range of applications and to determine the value of these products in the current market. READ MORE