Tag: algae

Algae-based batteries, biodegradable COVID-19 tests, BMW’s biobased coatings, Heinz biobottles, and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of May 19th

May 18, 2022 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

Can you imagine running a computer chip on algae – yes, algae – for more than six months? Apparently, that’s now possible thanks to biochemists at the University of Cambridge who created the biobased battery alternative to power small electronics during their “pandemic project”. And speaking of the pandemic, goodness knows we’ve taken more COVID-19 […]

Algae battery powers microprocessor for months

May 16, 2022 | Rebecca Coons

In the UK, biochemists at University of Cambridge have run a computer chip on algae for more than six months. Carried out in the home of one of the study’s authors, the “pandemic project” essentially created a biobased battery alternative that could power small electronics without rare earth elements that are already in short supply […]

UC Riverside researchers lead team that discovered gene functions in algae

May 16, 2022 | Meghan Sapp

In California, genes contain all the instructions an organism needs to live, grow, and reproduce. But identifying a gene and learning what it does are two different things. Scientists don’t know what kinds of instructions many genes contain— their functions are unknown. A new study led by UC Riverside, Princeton University, and Stanford University has […]

Carnegie researchers map % of key algae’s genes

May 9, 2022 | Meghan Sapp

In Washington, a team led by current and former Carnegie plant biologists has undertaken the largest ever functional genomic study of a photosynthetic organism. Their work, published in Nature Genetics, could inform strategies for improving agricultural yields and mitigating climate change. Despite its fundamental importance, many of the genes associated with photosynthesis remain uncharacterized. Luckily, […]

Artificial Intelligence tech to set world record for producing algae for biofuel

March 20, 2022 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

In Texas, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are using artificial intelligence to set a new world record for producing algae as a reliable, economic source for biofuel that can be used as an alternative fuel source for jet aircraft and other transportation needs. Joshua Yuan, AgriLife Research scientist, professor and chair of Synthetic Biology and […]

The Next Big Step for Algae and Sustainable Aviation Fuels

February 14, 2022 | Jim Lane

By Dr. Rebecca White, Dr. Lieve Laurens, Nate Kommers, Algae Biomass Organization Special to The Digest Among the dozens of policy innovations that Congress must consider in climate change legislation is a tool that could help trigger the next stage in decarbonizing one of the most significant industries in the world: aviation. The provision is […]

DOE announces $19M for carbon utilization funding opportunity

February 13, 2022 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office announced up to $19 million in federal funding for the advancement of technologies that utilize waste carbon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce reliable feedstocks for biotechnologies, with this particular funding opportunity aiming to increase the capability of algal systems to capture carbon […]

Oscar Mayer’s bologna-esque face mask, biobased traffic pillars, Delta airlines’ bamboo, algae-based skis, and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of February 3rd

February 2, 2022 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

In what seems like a twisted, alternate universe, famous wiener maker and bologna bliss master, Oscar Mayer, launched a face mask that looks like bologna but is made out of seaweed, witch hazel and collagen (and as clearly marked on their packaging, is not meant to be eaten). If walking around with a bologna-looking […]

Michigan State University shows how some algae protect themselves when there’s too much oxygen

January 24, 2022 | Meghan Sapp

In Michigan, a new study from the Michigan State University Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory shows how some algae can protect themselves when the oxygen they produce impairs their photosynthetic activity. The discovery also answers a long-standing question about how algae survive when CO2 levels are low. The findings of this research were recently published […]

DOE launches new AlgaePrize student competition

January 16, 2022 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

In Washington, D.C., the inaugural 2022–2023 U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office AlgaePrize competition is now open. The AlgaePrize is a new competition which encourages high school through graduate level students to pursue innovative ideas for the development, design, and invention of technologies within the commercial algae value chain. The AlgaePrize, sponsored by the U.S. […]