Lawrence Livermore Lab gets $1.5 million grant to improve algae production

In California, 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 of biofuel-producing algae through the alteration of their microbiomes. LLNL will partner with San Francisco based General Automation Lab Technologies (GALT) in the use of a novel high-throughput microbiome research technology. The use of the GALT technology will enable the testing of tens of thousands of unique microbiomes on algal physiology.

The project also aims to reduce wasted byproducts of photosynthesis by targeting microbiomes that can more efficiently recycle it back to carbon dioxide for the algae to grow better.