AlgaePalooza to Kick Off Backyard Biofuels Citizen Science Research Project
To kick off the algae collecting season, the Saint Louis Science Center and the Center for Advanced Biofuel Systems at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are hosting the 2nd annual Algaepalooza on May 7, 2011 in the Life Science Lab at the Saint Louis Science Center. Algaepalooza is the first opportunity in 2011 for citizens to pick up algae-collecting kits as part of the Backyard Biofuels citizen science research project. Backyard Biofuels is a collaborative project of the Saint Louis Science Center and the Center for Advanced Biofuel Systems at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. It is supported through grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.
This program is conducted in order to isolate and analyze more algae species for their lipid production abilities. The visitors will have an opportunity to converse with algae fuel researchers and they will be given algae–collection kits. They may get an idea of how to identify various types of algae and may get a chance to participate in hands-on experiments with algae.
The collection kits will be distributed to the families and individuals and the samples will be cultured and tested for oil production. Life Science Lab and the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Danforth Plant Science Center will analyze the samples for oil production.
