Advanced BioFuels USA

(Algae Foundation) The Algae Foundation is pleased to announce the publication of it’s third Massive Open Online Course. Algal MOOC #3, Introduction to Seaweeds.

Algal MOOC #3 is the third of five courses developed by the Algae Foundation and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. This course was co-produced by Ira Levine, Ph.D. and Jen Smith, Ph.D. and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technology Office. 

The first two MOOCs, Algal MOOC #1, Introduction to Algae, and Algal MOOC #2, Algal Biotechnology, have attracted over 33,000 students from around the globe and have earned a 98% approval rating.

We invite you all to take this free course by going to the Introduction to Seaweeds course page on Coursera.org.

Algal MOOC #3 is a free course, however, if you require an official certificate of completion, Coursera.org will charge $49 for the certificate. READ MORE

Introduction to Algae

This course was produced by the Algae Technology Educational Consortium and UC San Diego with funding from the Algae Foundation, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Algae are an extremely diverse group of organisms that can be found in almost every ecosystem on the planet, and they play an essential role for life on earth. They are little bio-factories that use the process of photosynthesis to create chemical compounds that we can utilize for food, feed, medicine, and even energy. We’ve brought together some of foremost algae experts from industry and academia to teach you the fundamentals of algae. This course will cover what algae are, why they are important, and why we are interested in them for both their environmental benefit, as well as their use for products. You will also explore the vast diversity of algae including the characteristics and applications of some of the main types of algae that are in commercial use today. Later you will learn about algal ecology and how interactions with environment, including pests and predators, affect algal productivity. And finally you will examine the processes of algae bio-manufacturing including production processes, as well as some of the products, benefits, and challenges that impact our ability to make commercially viable products from algae.

Algae Cultivation Extension Short-course (ACES) Part 1: Macroalgae

About ACES Part 1: Macroalgae

The Algal Cultivation Extension Short-course (ACES) is the extension/outreach component of the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC). ACES is divided into two components: macroalgae and microalgae.

This first component of ACES covers macroalgae (seaweed) and is designed for those already in the aquaculture/shellfish industry seeking to learn the basic skills to grow these aquatic plants. The culture of macroalgae and/or seaweeds is an industry that is expanding rapidly in the New England and the Pacific Northwest, as well as around the world. Recent shifts in commercial aquaculture offer fishermen and lobstermen the opportunity to grow seaweed during the winter when the fisheries are shut down. ACES is an on-line curriculum that covers both the U.S. perspective as well as inclusion of seaweed culture around the world.

Both sections of ACES are planning on hands-on labs at various times during the year for students to travel to Santa Fe, Maine, or potentially other places to see how this is all done in the real world.

Algae Cultivation Extension Short-course (ACES) Part 2: Microalgae

The Algal Cultivation Extension Short-course (ACES) is the extension/outreach component of the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC). ACES is divided into two components: macroalgae and microalgae.

This second component covers microalgae cultivation in a short-course based on a real college level course. The original focus of this section of ACES was to assist the algae biomass industry to improve the skill set and techniques required for their industry. This allows those companies to seek people who have some knowledge of aquaculture but need to learn the basics of growing large quantities of microalgae. These techniques are very similar to those needed to grow phytoplankton for shellfish. All shellfish hatcheries rely on unicellular phytoplankton to grow brood-stock and to feed larval and post-set shellfish. All businesses, including research facilities that rear shellfish from the spawning stage to the grow-out stage must have a trained person that can grow phytoplankton. This course can assist in that basic education for both industries. The microalgae component is a shortened on-line version of the ATEC curriculum developed at Santa Fe Community College.

Both sections of ACES are planning on hands-on labs at various times during the year for students to travel to Santa Fe, Maine, or potentially other places to see how this is all done in the real world.

Introduction to Seaweeds