Synthetic Genomics (SGI), has entered into a new co-funded research agreement with ExxonMobil to develop algae biofuels. The new agreement is a science research program that focuses on developing algal strains with significantly improved production characteristics by employing synthetic genomic science and technology. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. “We look forward to working with ExxonMobil to undertake …
U of Wyoming Inks Deal to Get Into Algae Biz
The University of Wyoming has signed a deal that gets it into the algal biomass industry. The school agreed to give PlanktOMICS Algae Bioservices, run by a pair of university researchers, space and support to research how to develop patent-pending processes in exchange for a cut of the profits down the road: PlanktOMICS principal partners Stephen Herbert, a UW professor …
Heliae Reveals Volaris – Algae Production Platform
Heliae has revealed its latest microalgae production platform, Volaris, the result of five years of research and development. The technology was designed to produce high purity microalgae at competitive prices. According to the company, Volaris will enable large-scale production for diverse markets and provide a natural, sustainable and consistent supply of alage-based products to meet worldwide demand. “Good science takes …
DOE Announces $18M to Advance Drop-In Biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $18 million in investments for four pilot-scale biorefineries that will test renewable biofuels that will meet military specifications for jet fuel, shipboard diesel, cars and trucks. These projects build on the Obama Administration’s broader efforts to advance biofuels technologies to continue to bring down costs, improve performance and identify effective, non-food feedstocks …
BioProcess Algae Awarded $6.4M Grant
BioProcess Algae has been selected to receive a grant of up to $6.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as part of an innovative pilot-scale biorefinery project related to production of hydrocarbon fuels meeting military specification. The project will use renewable carbon dioxide, lignocellulosic sugars and waste heat through BioProcess Algae’s Grower Harvester(TM) technology platform, co-located with the …
Research Turns Swine Manure into Biocrude Products
Researchers at the University of Illinois have come up with a way to turn swine manure into a biocrude oil, as well as growing algae biomass, capturing carbon, purifying wastewater and recycling nutrients. This news release from the school says Yuanhui Zhang and Lance Schideman, both professors in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, have combined their years of …
How to Recover from Algal Pond Crashes
Sandia National Laboratory has developed several complementary technologies to help the algae industry in detecting and recovering from pond crashes, and is making use of the AzCATI test-bed facility to collect data and apply its technologies. The research focuses on monitoring and diagnosing algal pond health and draws upon Sandia’s longstanding expertise in microfluidics technology, its strong bioscience research program …
Green Tea Could Lead to More Green Biodiesel
Researchers have found that some of the compounds in green tea could lead to more biodiesel production. Scientists at the University of California, Davis found several compounds, including common antioxidants such as epigallocatechin gallate, found in green tea, and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a food preservative, boosted the oil production by green microscopic algae: “They can live in saltwater, they take …
Algae.Tec Using Shipping Containers to Grow Algae
When it comes to alternatives to some of the more conventional sources of oils for biofuels, many companies are looking to go green. And some, such as the folks at Algae.Tec, are looking to green shipping containers to grow a literal green feedstock. “What we wanted was a significant bulk outcome, in other words fuels and possibly food, producing the …
OriginOil Claims Solution for Fracking Water Problem
The folks at OriginOil say they have the solution for the problem of what to do with all of the wastewater leftover from hydraulic fracturing, better known as “fracking,” the process used to free petroleum and other non-renewable fuels from the ground. Riggs Eckelberry is the CEO of OriginOil, a company dedicated to extracting oil from algae for a variety …