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(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have engineered tiny carbon-capturing engines from blue-green algae into plants, in an innovation that can help boost the yields of important food crops such as wheat, cowpeas and cassava. READ MORE/WATCH VIDEO
Algae/Other Aquatic Organisms/Seaweed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, a research team at Argonne National Lab released its GREET 2018 update. GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and vehicle technologies in major transportation sectors (i.e., road, air, marine,
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
(PHYCO2) PHYCO2 LLC reached a new milestone in its three-year pilot program with Michigan State University, announcing today the operation of its new, scalable algae production technology reactor, which will reduce the level of carbon emissions produced by electric power generation boilers. In 2015, PHYCO2 engaged with MSU to test its patented
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
(Rutgers Today) Green algae stole genes from bacteria to survive in harsh environments, Rutgers-led study suggests — Green algae that evolved to tolerate hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes and inland salt flats are expected to survive climate change, thanks to hardy genes they stole from bacteria, according to a Rutgers-led study. These Picochlorum single-celled
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association) After over 10 years of attempts at collaboration between the DOE Algae Biomass Program/BETO, university algae researchers and commercial algae producers over highly advertised pay-to-play taxpayer funded technologies, NAA and its algaepreneurs have no further interest. Why? On information and belief, many of these hyped
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Nicole Casal Moore (University of Michigan) U-M becomes one of the few institutes in the world working on the problem end-to-end — With $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, University of Michigan researchers aim to make the long-touted promise of algae as a biofuel source for diesel engines into
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced biomass (wood, crops, residues, etc.) as base for a global
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) Following close on the heels of the U.S. Department of Energy’s latest round of algae funding awards, President Trump Friday (September 21, 2018) signed into law a Fiscal Year 2019 spending bill providing an additional $44 million in FY2019 for algae and carbon utilization research — the highest funding level for
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Annie Megan Santamaria (Research Matters) Biorefineries which run on microalgae make for unconventional alternatives to satisfy our ever-growing thirst for energy. Studies in the past have proved that producing only biodiesel from microalgae biomass is non-profitable, and hence not sustainable. However, there is a growing market for coproducts produced during the
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
by Roger Gilroy (Transport Topics) Diesel fuel still has a large role to play in achieving greater emissions reductions in heavy-duty trucks, experts said during a recent conference in San Francisco. Separately, they urged more in-use testing of engines to verify the gains, and increased use of renewable diesel, which is
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Igor Houwat (Michigan State University) Michigan State University scientists have found a solution to enhance oil production and harvest using what many consider sea sludge. The new proof of concept, published in Biotechnology for Biofuels, is a biofuel production platform that uses two species of marine algae and soil fungi. It
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) It powers nearly every aspect of our daily lives, but in low- to middle-income countries, more than one billion people live without electricity. The issue is particularly overwhelming in sub-Saharan Africa where, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development, 600 million people — an estimated 70
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
(MarketWatch/Cyanotech) Cyanotech [®] Corporation (nasdaq capital market:CYAN), a world leader in microalgae-based, high-value nutrition and health products, is pleased to announce that it has signed an Asset Purchase Agreement with Cellana LLC to acquire a six-acre production and research facility, known as the Kona Demonstration Facility (KDF), located adjacent to Cyanotech’s
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
September 7, 2018 Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 36 projects totaling $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development (R&D). This R&D will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products, and power from non-food biomass and waste feedstocks. This work supports the Department
September 4, 2018 Read Full Article
by Sarah Huddle (Old Dominion University) … Cutting-edge research in the Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University is fueling the bioeconomy through the discovery of useful applications for algae as well as a proprietary process that can make these applications scalable for commercialization through partnerships with the private
September 3, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) The USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, a competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D), has opened a new opportunity that could support algae production systems. The SBIR Aquaculture topic area funds research projects that can improve the production efficiency
August 31, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bruce Lieberman (Yale Climate Connections) They think nutrients in farm runoff could feed algae for biofuel. — When fertilizer and pesticides run off farmland, they can contaminate waterways with nutrient pollution. Davis: “A classic example is the Mississippi Basin.” That’s Ryan Davis of Sandia National Laboratories. He says a lot of
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) … Algae are fast becoming a significant component in food and health products, and it is time that this new crop was afforded the support by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that other crops have seen for decades. Thanks to outreach by ABO and its members, a number
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
by Carina Lopez (Xinhua) Massive quantities of Sargassum seaweed are invading Caribbean beaches mostly thanks to global warming and countries should work closely with scientists for a sustainable solution, said a researcher at a leading Mexican university on Saturday. Brigitta Ine Van Tussenbroek, an expert on tropical marine vegetation, is from
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
(R&D Magazine/Tokyo Institute of Technology) Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have honed in on an enzyme belonging to the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) family as a promising target for increasing biofuel production from the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. Algae are known to store up large amounts of oils called triacylglycerols (TAGs) under
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) exander Richter writes in thinkgeoenergy.com that Israel-based Algaennovation last week signed a 15-year contract with Icelandic energy utility and operator ON Power for the purchase of energy and other inputs for small-scale algae production, which the companies say will be the first of its kind in the world. Icelandic engineering group Mannvit
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Earnings Season: as Novozymes, DSM, Amyris, Gevo, Corbion, and Aemetis Report, Who’s up, Who’s down?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest, let’s look at trends driving the industry’s results at scale — and while money is not the measure of all progress, it is the ultimate yardstick and especially for companies that have reached industrial scale. So, let’s look at Q2 earnings statements now
August 17, 2018 Read Full Article
by Elizabeth Montalbano (Design News) Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have discovered a novel way to develop biofuel from green algae. — …One of the most promising alternatives has been molecular hydrogen, which provides carbon-free power in one of the cleanest ways possible. Now, researchers at the University of Turku
August 8, 2018 Read Full Article
by Craig Laufer* (Advanced Biofuels USA) After hearing from many speakers at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, one recurring theme from the sessions I attended was the application of digital biology, synthetic biology in silico modeling, machine learning and robotics to the R & D of biofuels/bioproducts production.
August 7, 2018 Read Full Article
(WCAX) Both houses of Congress have passed their respective versions of the Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that affects farmers around the country. Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, will try to come together to pass one version of the bill. Farm bill negotiations
August 7, 2018 Read Full Article
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In New Mexico, the state’s Museum of Natural History and Science has launched an online exhibition called Bio-AI that allows users to grow an algae crop—or fail and lose the crop—using an online game “Growing Green Goop” as a way to increase awareness about algae R&D in
August 7, 2018 Read Full Article
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative) … Feedstocks: The companies are pursuing various feedstock categories, including algae, cellulosics, lipids, sugars, oilseeds, tall oil residue, and sugars. Most of the companies were only pursuing one feedstock category, with only a couple continuing to explore multiple feedstocks or planning to migrate from food-based to
August 6, 2018 Read Full Article
(Florida Department of Environmental Protection) On July 9, 2018, Governor Rick Scott issued an Executive Order for Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties to help combat algal blooms (HABs) caused by Lake Okeechobee water discharges from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Executive Order directed DEP to
August 6, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jags Pandhal is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, at the University of Sheffield, in the UK. His research involves biological resource recovery utilizing algae from landfill leachate at 300L scale. This project is in cooperation with Viridor, one the of UK’s largest
by Ross DiMattei (ABC-7) Suspending freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee is only a temporary solution to the water quality issues in Southwest Florida. — You may have seen a proposal for a more permanent solution circulating on social media that would involve converting the blue-green algae into biofuel. ABC-7 spoke with
August 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) This month the momentum for supporting technologies that put carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to good use got a boost in Congress with the introduction of the bipartisan Carbon Utilization Act of 2018. The House bill would support utilization technologies, such as algae cultivation, by allowing them
August 2, 2018 Read Full Article
Deeper into the Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available by 2030, for conversion into biofuels. Compared to the original
August 2, 2018 Read Full Article
by Andy Stiny (Santa Fe New Mexican) … And those lawn clippings? They could be used to convert algae into a mass-produced, economical biofuel to be used in cars, trucks and airplanes. Molecular biologist Amanda Barry and a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Bio-energy and Biome Sciences group are
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
July 28, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bethany Jensen (Ignite Utah State University) With the increase of global climate change effects, many local bodies of fresh water are experiencing dangerous toxic algae blooms. These are detrimental to water recreation, to agriculture, and to the natural ecosystem. They are potentially harmful to humans. Bethany has chosen a project
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source. The research shows that a freshwater production strain of microalgae, Auxenochlorella protothecoides, is capable of directly degrading and utilizing non-food plant substrates,
July 19, 2018 Read Full Article
(European Technology and Innovation Platform-Bioenergy) On 13 June 2018 the SET-Plan Steering Group approved the Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Action 8: Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport. The plan was prepared by a working group, co chaired by industrial experts from ETIP Bioenergy, over 9 months. It details the European
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
(Colorado School of Mines) Nanette Boyle, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Colorado School of Mines, has been awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Early Career Research Program. Boyle will receive $750,000 over five years to develop predictive metabolic models for algae – work that could help speed
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellana uses the most productive plants on earth—marine microalgae—to photosynthetically produce its ReNew line of Omega-3 EPA and DHA oils, animal feed, and biofuel feedstocks. Cellana’s patented ALDUO system, a series of photobioreactors coupled with open ponds, enables low-cost, continuous production of diverse strains of microalgae.
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Have some of the final engineering limitations of microalgae been overcome? Can microalgae be hosts for genetic engineering as powerful as bacteria and yeast? A promising new technique for gene design seems to overcome expression limitations of nuclear transgene expression for practical eukaryotic algal engineering1. Researchers from
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Some of these started with biofuels then went into chemicals, nutrition or protein and some are going back to their beginnings. What they all have in common, however, is they are transforming…as markets change, as the economy changes, as technologies change, they recognize that the
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
(University of Michigan) University of Michigan scientists grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds at U-M’s E.S. George Reserve near Pinckney, Michigan in the first large-scale, controlled experiment to test the widely held idea that biodiversity can improve the performance of algal biofuel systems in the field.
July 10, 2018 Read Full Article
(National Algae Association) There is a growing ‘state of emergency’ on the expansion of algae blooms in the US and throughout the world. This group is a collaboration of algae bloom remediation technologies (proven to work outside the lab, scalable and have a low CAPEX) and commercially-minded algae researchers. Algae bloom
July 10, 2018 Read Full Article
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using neutrons to understand why certain hydrocarbons produced by blue-green algae are important to their biology, so new strains can be engineered to sustainably produce biofuels. Neutron scattering makes it possible to non-destructively see inside living algae at real
July 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Arizona, Arizona State University researcher Kevin Redding is working on biological, light-driven energy extraction. Redding, a biochemist who leads the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis at ASU, is producing hydrogen biofuel from water instead of from natural gas which is a fossil fuel. Redding said,
July 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Protein has become the answer to almost every question. How will you achieve scale? Protein. How will you make money? Protein. What will save the world? Protein. What are you going to talk about in your next presentation? Protein, protein, protein. The extent to which Protein
July 6, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine/Vice News Tonight/HBO) The Department of Energy is trying to turn the Salton Sea, a lake in the California desert, into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea Biomass Remediation (SABRE) Project harnesses algae’s ability to grow in
June 29, 2018 Read Full Article
(Greenbelt Resources) Biofuels & Energy distributes request for proposal through regional economic development agencies — Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) (Greenbelt), the developer of a sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms waste into revenue generating bioproducts, today announced that Biofuels and Energy, LLC(B&E), a New Mexico-based project development company planning to utilize Greenbelt’s proprietary ECOsystem
June 28, 2018 Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-funded Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) is proud to announce its first graduates from the algal certificate program at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These first ATEC graduates received their Associate Applied Science Degree in Controlled Environment
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) Cattle waste and wastewater. Sludgy grease ensconced in restaurant and cafeteria grease traps. Food waste—uneaten leftovers or culinary mistakes. Contrary to the lyrics in The Sound of Music, these aren’t a few of our favorite things. But when paired with waste-to-energy (WtE) technology, these things can become downright energetic—in
June 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … The VERGE conference was held in Honolulu last week gathering energy and transportation leaders to talk about lessons learned in clean energy and electricity that can be transferred to the transportation sector. Among the topics was how Hawaii managed to more than double the amount
June 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
June 22, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Hayley Dunning writes from the Imperial College of London that a new discovery has changed our understanding of the basic mechanism of photosynthesis and should rewrite the textbooks. It will also tailor the way we hunt for alien life and provide insights into how we could engineer
June 21, 2018 Read Full Article
(Phys.Org/University of Michigan) … Overall, the researchers found that diverse mixes of algal species, known as polycultures, performed more key functions at higher levels than any single species—they were better at multitasking. But surprisingly, the researchers also found that polycultures did not produce more algal mass, known as biomass, than the
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Philip T. Pienkos (R&D Magazine) … This time, the leading force was not the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), but the investment community acting in the belief that the power of modern biotechnology could be brought to bear against the hurdles that stymied the ASP (Aquatic Species Program). Dozens of
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Michael Eggelston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The excessive water evaporation of open pond photo-bioreactors (PBRs) seriously limits the geographical applicability of algae as a catalyst for bio-based products. As a result, these industries in Europe have turned to closed PBR systems which only use a fraction of the water consumed
June 13, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Global EcoPower (GEP), of Aix-en-Provence, France, has signed a 5-year partnership contract with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). This partnership, launched with the CEA’s technological research department, provides for a research and development program on the cultivation of microalgae in photovoltaic greenhouses; on
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
(Outlook India) In a first-of-its-kind venture in the world, Indian Oil Corporation is planning to utilise off-gases (waste gas) from various processing units of its refineries for production of ethanol. The move will reduce the carbon footprint of the state-run company’s refineries, while helping to gainfully use waste gas produced for the production of
June 7, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We’ve organized the state of biodiesel into 10 areas of vital interest ranging from the development of markets to the entry of ancillary products and new feedstocks. #1 Tax & Trade Free trade vs fair trade: Dumping and tax credit issues continue to mezmerize the
June 7, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
June 6, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) … The Algae Academy provided 48 Algae STEM Kits to middle school classes in California, Michigan, and Ohio last year. In 2018, our goal is to provide 150 kits to middle and high school classrooms nationwide. Each kit serves up to 150 students and is provided completely free
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) Students – Are you interested in doing more for your industry while completing your degree? Help define the algae sector of today and shape the industry of tomorrow as an Algae Biomass Organization volunteer virtual intern. Internships of 8-12 weeks are available and are completely online. Interns serve
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) ABO’s ongoing work in Washington, DC, to educate Congress and federal agencies on the importance of robust algae research, development and demonstration has resulted in the release of an unprecedented series of funding opportunities for algae. Deadlines for letters of intent are fast approaching. Four major algae funding
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have announced a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025. With that, it feels like the circle has turned again. Which
May 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Giles Kirkland (ACT News) Those interested in advanced transportation will be well aware of the massive potential of introducing such kinds of biofuels as microalgae-based fuels. With fossil fuels still making up a total of 80% of the world’s energy, they will also be aware of the challenges faced in making
May 24, 2018 Read Full Article
(Tribune News Service) The Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNEST), Panjab University (PU), has got a grant of Rs 2.57 crore for projects in food and agriculture processing.“The government wants us to suggest ways of converting biomass into high-value product. We will fund five start-ups which would work in this
May 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Igor Houwat, Eric Poliner (MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory) Eric Poliner and a team of MSU scientists in the Farre and Benning labs have released a new genetic engineering toolkit for the alga Nannochloropsis. The alga is of interest for the production of biofuels and other oil-based chemicals. Over the past
May 23, 2018 Read Full Article
by George Poikayil (Indian Express) The “path-breaking” findings were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Plant Physiology in May. — A team of 14 scientists from Korea, Spain and India discovered a key to increase biofuel from algae by 30%. Their “path-breaking” findings were published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Plant Physiology
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jonathan Trent, of the OMEGA Global Initiative, explains to a CNBC reporter at the recent Myriad Conference, in Brisbane, Australia, how his efforts to study the possibility of living on Mars paved the way for potential applications on Earth. Myriad, a three-day conference, is billed as “A
May 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Sarah Tan (WCAI) Kelp farming is on the rise around the Cape and Islands, as more growers are finding reasons to love this ocean crop. From researchers like Scott Lindell at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute who want to farm the crop for biofuel, to shellfishermen in Chatham who want to sell it to
May 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced four funding opportunities totaling up to $78 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office. “The Department of Energy is focused on some of the most exciting research opportunities as
May 3, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Greenbelt Resources Corporation and Duckweed DAYS commenced their inaugural Duckweed Project to commercialize the duckweed model developed by the Andrew J. Young Foundation. Tests conducted during a pilot program indicated that protein extracted from duckweed was one of the most nutritious vegetable organic protein with essential
May 3, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking these on a weekly basis to keep pace with the
May 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) JapanNews.com reports that Euglena Co., a Tokyo-based maker of nutritional supplements, is spending ¥5.8 billion ($5.3 million USD) on building a test refinery that converts algae into biofuel used to power jets and vehicles. The investment is equal to about half of last year’s total revenue for
May 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Agnes Walton (Vice News) The Department of Energy is trying to turn a lake in the California desert called the Salton Sea into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea Biomass Remediation Project harnesses algae’s ability to grow in
April 27, 2018 Read Full Article
by Tom Callis (Hawaii Tribune-Herald) … The state’s Agribusiness Development Corp. is proposing to build a $1.5 million facility at the Shipman Business Park that would grow algae from leftover produce, in particular, papaya. The algae could then be used for animal feed or biofuel. Ken Nakamoto, project manager, said the
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) Algae is on a roll in Congress. Despite a challenging fiscal environment, the latest federal spending bill passed by Congress includes new funding for algae R&D that will be available in FY2018 and, for the first time, tax credits for algae-based carbon capture and use (CCU). New proposals
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Joanna McWilliams (Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has received support from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ARPA-E has poured over $22 million into their Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program, with the aim of establishing
(VTT) A joint study by the University of Turku and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has shown that the ability of photosynthesising microbial cells to produce biohydrogen from solar energy can be markedly improved by attaching the cells to a transparent nanocellulose film. The method is also expected to enhance
April 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Gunjan Mukherjee (Advanced Biofuels USA/Chandigarh University Institute of Biotechnology (UIBT)) The International Conference on Sustainable Biofuel was held at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi, India. The concept of the conference was that use of fossil fuels for transportation contributes significantly to global greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. On the
April 23, 2018 Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … In a statement, House Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., criticized the legislation, calling it “a flawed bill that is the result of a bad nontransparent process.” Cuts to Energy Title programs are among the specific provisions of the bill that Peterson criticized. “…$500
April 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(Phys.Org/Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has received support from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ARPA-E has poured over $22 million into their Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program, with the aim of establishing
April 17, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) The University of Hawaii at Hilo announced that in affiliation with Duke and Cornell Universities, researchers have authored a study that suggests making croplands more efficient through algae production could unlock an important negative emission technology to combat climate change. Their research, “Integrating Algae with Bioenergy Carbon Capture
April 16, 2018 Read Full Article
by James Coulter (The Daily Ridge) Can the algae growing within Polk County’s lakes be used to fuel our gas tanks in the near future? Students at Florida Polytechnic University (FPU) have been researching this question for the past several months, and the answer they found proves affirmative. Their research shows
April 10, 2018 Read Full Article
(Green Car Congress) Benzene, an aromatic hydrocarbon, is a natural component of crude oil and is one of the elementary petrochemicals. It is used as a precursor to the manufacture of more complex chemicals, and, with a high octane number, is an important component of gasoline. Researchers at the University of
April 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bruce Haring (Block Tribune) WaterChain is developing a blockchain solution for cleaning up the water industry. The company is working on an initial coin offering (ICO) that will allow investors to stake tokens and facilitate the funding of water recycling projects. … BLOCK TRIBUNE: Okay, so the last time I was speaking with
April 6, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For a number of years we have been pointing to Iowa’s intriguing combination of feedstock, infrastructure and political consensus on renewables as a potent force in bioeconomy deployment. But these days, toss in some serious innovation chops, too — a corridor of invention stretching from St.
April 5, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Sunup’s ultimate goal is to clean up wastewater in Oklahoma to a level that it can be recycled or reused for crop irrigation. See how they do it. WATCH VIDEO
April 2, 2018 Read Full Article
If you are a student, postdoc or early career professionalinterested in algae and algae-based technologies, the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) would like to invite you to our 2018 Algae Biomass Summit, the world’s largest algae conference. This year’s summit will be in the Woodlands, Texas, just outside Houston, October 14-17, 2018. Come and learn
April 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine/Science Trends) enguang Zhou writes in Sciencetrends.com about work recently published in the journal Bioresource Technology regarding why Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of microalgae — a bio-oil technology which does not require dewatering and drying of algal biomass — up to now, has rarely been commercialized. One of the problems impeding its industrialization is
(Greenbelt Resources) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) (Greenbelt), the developer of a sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms waste into revenue generating bioproducts, today announced that it has signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Georgia-based Duckweed DAYS, LLC. Duckweed DAYS is a new entity formed by entrepreneurs to commercialize and further the research
April 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization/Globe Newswire) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today applauded the introduction of the Algae Agriculture Act of 2018, a bill that would give algae cultivators and harvesters many of the same advantages as other traditional crops in United States agricultural policy. The bill was
March 23, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) has received a Phase II SBIR for the USDA NFIA to use pulsed electric field (PEF) processing for algal extraction and predator control. Working with the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI), DTI has installed a PEF Laboratory System on Arizona State
March 22, 2018 Read Full Article
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers from Nanjing Tech University in China have published a paper in Biotechnology for Biofuels on their method to increase lipid content and reduce peroxidation in Schizochytrium sp., a marine microalgae rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is touted for its human health benefits. The researchers say stress induction to
March 21, 2018 Read Full Article
by Joshua D. Rhodes (University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute) Expanded Carbon Credit Could Spur New Coal Power Investment — The Furthering carbon capture, Utilization, Technology, Underground storage, and Reduced Emissions (FUTURE) Act, part of the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, extended and expanded the 2008 tax credits for capturing
March 19, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae has been reinvented in recent years as a Sustainable New Crop for Food, Feed, Fuel and other products. Part of an international effort to expand Agricultural Production and productive land, and keeping key nutrients on the farm while restoring soil, algae is seen as a technology platform
March 16, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algenol is a global, industrial biotechnology company that is commercializing its patented algae technology platform for production of ethanol and other biofuels, chemicals and biobased materials. Formed in 2006, and headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida with an R&D facility in Berlin, the company operates in multiple sectors: AgTech,
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bradley J. Fikes (San Diego Union Tribune) Advancing work under a collaboration established a decade ago, ExxonMobil and La Jolla’s Synthetic Genomics said they will begin outdoor growth of naturally occurring algae for biofuel. The research could lead to the technical ability to make 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel a day
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, researchers from Donald Danforth Plant Science Center studied the earliest stages the evolution of male and female sexes in a group of freshwater photosynthetic protists called volvocine green algae, which could have implications for breeding algae for biofuel applications. James Umen, Ph.D., a member of
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
by Emma Nobel (ABC Central Victoria News) Environmental microbiologist and science champion Marianne Haines hopes her work converting bacteria into biofuel will lead to more sustainable outcomes, and more women studying science at the postgraduate level. Growing up in regional Victoria, the former boot camp leader was inspired to make a career
by Adele Peters (Fast Company) The oil and gas giant says it could be making 10,000 barrels a day within a few years–a small drop in the amount of oil it produces, but a huge boost in the amount of algae-based biofuel. In the California desert near the Salton Sea and
March 7, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Source Integration has developed a technology that creates a 12x surface area for a 12x algae harvest and expects expects an optimized production of 8 – 10 times plain algae raceway for same (water/land) surface area. Source — which aims at discussing licensing, joint ventures or other
March 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The ABLC 2018 conference began at the US Department of Agriculture headquarters with a focus on feedstock. Jordan Solomon, Managing Director & CEO Ecostrat Inc.. kicked off the event with news of new US national standards for biomass supply chain risk that intend to
by Katarina Zimmer (The Scientist) The finding could lead to a new way of producing “green” alternatives to fossil fuels. — … Green Fuel — Finding enzymes in nature that convert plant oils into fossil fuel–like hydrocarbons could lead the way toward harnessing new energy sources. After observing that the freshwater alga Chlorella
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
by Richard A. Lovett (Cosmos) Could green microorganisms be the geoengineering fix the world’s needs? — … Not only can these fast-growing single-celled plants provide biomass for carbon-neutral fuels, they can provide animal feeds and high-quality protein supplements for a human population that looks to be headed for a peak of about
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) In a historic victory for algae and other microbial technologies, Congress late last night approved a two-year budget agreement that establishes a $35 per ton tax incentive for carbon captured and recycled from power plants or industrial facilities using algae or other biologically-based carbon capture and use (CCU)
(U.S. Department of Energy) Last spring, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) conducted its seventh biennial external review of its research, development, and communications portfolio. More than 40 external subject matter experts from industry, academia, and federal agencies reviewed over 277 projects across BETO’s nine technology
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
by Igor Houwat (Algae Industry Magazine) A collaboration between the Benning and Kramer labs is revealing how algae’s internal solar panels constantly grow and shrink in size to adjust to changes in their environments, a crucial system that ensures their hosts stay healthy and alive. The scientists want to use this knowledge to someday syphon the energy from
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new online course in algae basics has just been made available by Coursera for anyone interested in learning the fundamentals of algae. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Introduction to Algae, was produced at the University of San Diego and is being taught by Drs. Steve Mayfield
February 22, 2018 Read Full Article
(Agencia Brasil/South America Times) Petrobras has been working on the development of pioneering technology for the production of biodiesel from microalgae-an alternative to oil-derived fuels used in cars or any other diesel-powered vehicles. In an interview granted to Agencia Brasil, Juliana Vaz, Biotechnology Manager at Petrobras’s Research Center (CENPES), mentioned the pioneering
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DSM and Evonik have given a name to their joint venture to produce omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from natural marine algae for animal nutrition — something that’s been traditionally been made from wild-caught fish oil. They’re calling it Veramaris — and they’re cutting out
by Maqsood Maniyar (Times of Oman) Oman has a great potential to provide algae for synthesis of biofuel, observers in the field of biology have stated. The Sultanate, with its wadis and seas, is an excellent source of algae that can be cultivated for lipids or fats from which biofuel can then
February 15, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) In a historic victory for algae and other microbial technologies, Congress late last night approved a two-year budget agreement that establishes a $35 per ton tax incentive for carbon captured and recycled from power plants or industrial facilities using algae or other biologically-based carbon capture and use (CCU) systems. The
February 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Young scientists presented their ongoing biodiesel research projects during a panel at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo last week in Fort Worth, Texas. The students are part of the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel, a free student professional organization managed by the National Biodiesel Board
February 7, 2018 Read Full Article
(WIREs Authors/Advanced Science News) To confront global warming, climate changes and a potential energy shortage, biodiesel received increasing interest as a substitute for diesel fuels in efforts towards sustainable development. Microalgae-derived biodiesel is a promising energy source. The advantages of microalgae as a biodiesel feedstock are many, for example, efficient photosynthesis, high
February 6, 2018 Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the 2017 Project Peer Review on March 6–9, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. During the event, approximately 192 projects in BETO’s research, development, and demonstration portfolio were presented to the public and systematically reviewed by more than
(Japan Chemical Daily) Euglena Co. Ltd. (TYO:2931) has solidified plans to set the price of its jet fuel made using euglena, a type of algae, at 150–200 yen ($1.38–$1.83) per liter by 2025…. READ MORE
February 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Japan, two weeks ago Euglena began testing its algae-based bio-SPK in a power generation facility as part of a trial run schedule to last through June. The company’s pilot facility is expected to come online by October when it will produce about 5 barrels of fuel
February 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(WesTech Engineering/Biomass Magazine) The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative, a technology-based economic development program funded by the state of Utah, has awarded a $175,320 grant for development of a commercial algal application in the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from municipal wastewater. The grant, awarded by USTAR’s Industry Partnership Program
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists at Swansea University are taking the lead on a €5.5 Million eco-innovative project developing new technology to clean up waste. The ALG-AD project could potentially result in a circular economy solution whereby excess waste nutrients produced from anaerobic digestion of food and farm waste are used
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
by Brian Goodall (First Garden City Consulting/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … (I)n the case of microalgae the oil has to coaxed out of the whole plant (typically single cells) using chemical or physical means to break open the cells and expose the contents to solvent extraction. … Indeed, with very
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week in the Digest, we begin a Special 8-part Series: The State of the Advanced Bioeconomy: Challenges and Priorities for 2018. As we head into the final month before ABLC 2018, these in-depth examinations from a group of renowned industry experts will set the stage for
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Get your abstracts for the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit ready! The Algae Foundation has announced that it is offering $500 travel grants to attend the 12th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in The Woodlands, Texas, from October 14-17, 2018. Information for students to apply for the 2018 Mary Rosenthal Memorial Student
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new design of algae-powered fuel cells that is five times more efficient than existing plant and algal models, as well as being potentially more cost-effective to produce and practical to use, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge. While algae-powered fuel cells are unlikely
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels (KRWG) Over the past decade, New Mexico State University (NMSU) College of Engineering Professor Nagamany Nirmalakhandan (known as Dr. Khandan) has investigated how algae – yes, that simple green stuff that grows in stagnant water – removes contaminants from wastewater. The specific microalgae used by
January 8, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) How can the construction industry do its share to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases connected to global warming? In the urgent search for answers, Votorantim Cimentos and Pond Technologies are taking part in a cutting edge project that reveals how carbon dioxide waste can be tapped to
January 5, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) … In September, the US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $22 million in grants to fund projects for marine biomass farming for production of commercial products, including feedstock for domestic transportation fuels. The funding was provided through the Advanced Research Projects Agency — Energy (ARPA-E) for 18 projects
January 3, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) China Daily Editor Zhang Shiyu writes that Wang Qiang, the lead scientist behind a project at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Hydrobiology, said a new strain of microalgae they are developing has recently entered a test phase for cleaning emissions produced by the refineries of
December 28, 2017 Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Ontario Centres of Excellence have announced 20 semi-finalists for Ontario’s Solutions 2030 Challenge, which calls on innovators to propose solutions to help the province’s industry reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution. Several of the finalists have biofuel-related technologies. … Ontario’s Solutions 2030 Challenge is a
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With apologies to every other region around the world. we continue to see Asia as the epicenter of the biobased revolution over the next 20 years. The reasons are three and relatively straightforward: 1. Continued and robust economic growth. 2. Massive biomass resource. 3. Lack of
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
by Tamara Scully (Country Folks) The next big thing in alternative energy may be pretty small. Algae, which are aquatic, single-celled organisms, produce oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide. Nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients which can degrade our waterways, plus sunlight and carbon dioxide, provide algae with a steady diet. From that
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the only federal laboratory dedicated to the research, development, commercialization, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL — home to the National Bioenergy Center — advances the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and
December 20, 2017 Read Full Article
(General Automation Lab Technologies/PR Newswire) New $1.5 million DOE grant will utilize GALT’s novel high throughput microbiome research platform to improve algal biofuel growth through microbiome engineering — Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has been awarded a 3 year $1.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Energy to improve the growth and efficiency
December 14, 2017 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Stelco Algae Holdings Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Stelco Inc., one of Canada’s leading integrated steel companies, and algal cultivation specialists Pond Technologies Inc., of Markham, Ontario, Canada, have announced their collaboration for the construction of what they claim to be the world’s first commercial algae plant utilizing
December 12, 2017 Read Full Article
by Anne Ju (Cornell Chronicle) A Cornell research team has received a $910,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to work toward revolutionizing how biofuels are produced from algae. David Erickson, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Largus Angenent, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering, have teamed
December 5, 2017 Read Full Article
by Sarah Loftus (Nanowerk News/Duke University) … Although biofuels made from algae provide numerous environmental benefits, they will not win market share until they can compete economically with cheap fossil fuels. Algae require tremendous volumes of water to grow, and reusing that water makes production cheaper (“Water use and its recycling
December 4, 2017 Read Full Article
by Mark R. Edwards (Algae Industry Magazine) t the recent Algae Biomass Summit in Salt Lake City Algae Foundation President Ira Levine shared this year’s advancements in algal-based education for K-14 and beyond. The past year has been an eventful year for the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC), which is chartered to design,
December 4, 2017 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) have announced the launch of the ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard. The joint standard marks a first for the two certification programs, bringing together expertise in sustainable fishing and responsible aquaculture. Building on each other’s expertise in standard
November 30, 2017 Read Full Article
by Mohsen Soleymani and Kurt A. Rosentrater (Bioengineering) A techno-economic evaluation of bioenergy production from macroalgae was carried out in this study. Six different scenarios were examined for the production of different energy products and by-products. Seaweed was produced either via the longline method or the grid method. Final products of
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The promise is this: Manta could one day skim algae right off of the Chesapeake Bay and convert it into oil, simultaneously cleaning up deadly algae blooms and providing the precursor for clean, renewable fuels. Manta licensed its harvesting technology from the University of Maryland Center for
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
by Mark R. Edwards (Algae Industry Magazine) he new report, Industrial Algae Measurements 8.0, was released by the ABO Technical Standards Committee at the 11th Algae Biomass Summit (ABS) in Salt Lake City this month. The IAM 8.0collaboration represents contributions of over 30 universities, private companies, and national laboratories over the past seven
November 20, 2017 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, CRI/Criterion Catalyst Company has awarded an FEL-2 license agreement for the IH2 technology which converts biomass to liquid transportation fuels, to Biozin Holding. The Front End Loading (FEL-2) package will be completed for the core IH2 technology by global engineering and construction specialists KBR. KBR is
November 16, 2017 Read Full Article
by Christian Ong (Cornell Daily Sun) … Using metabolic engineering, Prof. David Stern, plant biology, managed to transfer the metabolic pathway of Botryococcus, a species of algae that produces large quantities of usable oil, into another species of algae that has a fast rate of reproduction. Despite the improvements, there was still
November 14, 2017 Read Full Article
(SB Wire) Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the “Aviation Biofuel Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012 – 2016 and Opportunity Assessment; 2017 – 2027″ report to their offering. ‘Green Development’ is the first priority for large scale industries around the world, with the purpose of reducing their carbon footprint.
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
by Yukako Ono (Nikkei Asian Review) IHI will conduct large-scale verification experiments in Thailand on a process for producing jet fuel from the oil extracted from cultured microalgae. The goal is to have a practical technology ready by 2020 so the biojet fuel can be used for test flights during the
November 7, 2017 Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Algae Biomass Summit (ABS) has transitioned from algae biofuels to higher value algae bioproducts. Most of the excitement in the 2017 version focused on nutrition for plants, animals and people, and the critical need for nutrient cycling. Algae’s role in health and nutrition was emphasized in
November 6, 2017 Read Full Article
by Ali Sundermier and Evan Lerner (Penn News) … The lustrous cells on the surface of the clam scatter bright sunlight, which typically runs the risk of causing fatal damage to the cell, but the clams efficiently convert the sunlight into fuel. Using what they learn from these giant clams, the researchers
November 6, 2017 Read Full Article
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