Scientists from India and Singapore conducted an experiment to incorporate a brown seaweed Turbinaria conoides in green roof growth substrate to enhance the run-off quality from green roofs.  The green roof substrate was prepared using perlite, vermiculite, sand, crushed brick, coco peat and 10% of Turbinaria conoides. The results showed that the green roof substrate […]

A Galway based seaweed business, Ocean Harvest Technology, has raised €1.4 million from a variety of private investors which could help to increase the production of its product by five-fold. A U.S. investor provided about half of the money while non-executive directors also participated. The company mainly produces animal feed using carefully crafted mixes of […]

Researchers from Malaysia conducted an experiment to produce biodiesel and bioethanol from Scenedesmus bijugatus cultivated in vertical tubular photobioreactor.  The alga was cultivated in the photobioreactor in a semi-continuous mode and harvested by a combined process involving coagulation and flocculation. Maximum biodiesel yield was obtained using acid base catalytic process. Further, the lipid extracted residual […]

Las Cruces Utilities has collaborated with New Mexico State University on a project funded by Department of Energy and National Science Foundation. The project mainly deals with the production of biofuels from algae grown in wastewater. National Science Foundation is funding $5 million for a course of 10 years while Department of Energy is funding […]

Scientists from Tasmania have found that fucoidan, a polysaccharide extract obtained from Fucus vesiculosus could help to treat inflammatory bowel disorders. In a study conducted on mice affected with inflamed colon, the symptoms of the disease significantly reduced and a large number of biomarkers were normalized. Further study is needed to understand the mechanism of […]

Suneris, a biotech company has developed an algae-based polymer called VetiGel that seals wounds instantly.  When injected into a wound site, the gel can form a clot that stops the bleeding within 12 seconds and permanently heals the wound within minutes. The gel contains algae-based polymers that acts as a sealant and expedite the clotting process. […]

Researchers from USA conducted an experiment to harvest microalgae using phase separation of thermoresponsive polymers and copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide and allylamine.  Chlorella protothecoides was taken as an experimental model to perform the experiment. The results showed that Chlorella protothecoides cells were separated from the solution containing mixture of algae and polymers when it was heated […]

Scientists from Japan have developed a new method of converting algal oil to transportation fuels. Squalene, which is produced by microalgae, could be converted to jet fuel or gasoline by this method.   The method uses ruthenium as a catalyst supported on cerium oxide. In the presence of this catalyst, squalane, obtained from squalene, reacts […]

Cyanotech Corp. has started its operations for its new astaxanthin extraction system at its 90-acre production facility in Hawaii. The new extraction system called supercritical carbon dioxide extraction system is one of the fewer than six similar systems in the world. It has double the capacity for the company’s current production. The system works by […]

Natura Cosméticos has entered a joint agreement with Solazyme and announced that it will purchase Solazyme’s high-performance AlgaPūrTM Microalgae Oil, which will be incorporated into Natura’s multiple product lines. Natura and Solazyme have been working together for two years on several projects, to develop new formulations with Solazyme’s microalgae oils. Solazyme microalgae oil is a […]

The Microbiology Department of Bharathidasan University will set up a National repository of Freshwater microalgae and Cyanobacteria with financial assistance from the Department of Biotechnology of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology. The repository with be a national centre with the existing National Facility for Marine cyanobacteria (NFMC). It would carry out detailed study […]

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) has continued its collaboration with Mitsubishi Corporation on microalgae research and industrial biotechnology.  The partnership will continue for another two years in which research work will be carried out at SBC laboratories. The research will mainly focus on the discovery of new algal species, which will be developed for renewable fuels […]

Algatechnologies Ltd. has signed a supply and long-term collaboration agreement with Fujifilm Corp. in Japan for its AstaPure® natural astaxanthin ingredients. Fujifilm has already been using Algatech’s natural astaxanthin as a main ingredient for its nutrition supplement and cosmetics products line Astalift. Astalift is one of the most innovative and successful cosmetics brand in Japan. […]

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has co-founded a seaweed farming technology company AT~SEA to develop off-the shelf seaweed farms. AT~SEA Technologies has been formed as part of the EU project AT~SEA. The company’s specially designed 2D seaweed cultivation substrates form part of the product offered by AT~SEA Technologies, which will specialize in industry […]

Researchers from Italy have conducted an experiment to improve the overall photoconversion efficiency of microalgae production in photobioreactors.  Two strategies were followed in the experiment – in the first, luminescent spectral converter filters were used which increases the portion of the spectrum available for photosynthesis. In the second, photobioreactors were integrated with photovoltaic panels. Results […]

Scientists from USA have evaluated a novel aeroponic substrate based cultivation system to determine the production of significant quantities of algal biomass without negative impact on the lipid productivity compared to traditional systems. The vertical substrate system produced increased yields, reduced the energy inputs and increased the financial returns. It also did not affect the […]

Researchers from Brazil performed an experiment to improve the use of photobioreactors, for continuous growth, by developing minimally invasive mass flow rate sensor that can be used as an alternative to ultrasonic sensors. A mathematical model was developed that allows for the determination of system temperature distribution. The mathematical model was implemented in the Fortran […]

Scientists from Taiwan have developed a unique system to cultivate algae for the production of biofuels.  Microalgae were cultivated by coupling wastewater treatment process with algal photobioreactor for nutrient removal and production of biomass, using enriched CO2 from industrial exhaust gases. This technology not only helps in biodiesel production but also other health supplements such […]

Scientists from American University of Beirut have found that Lebanon’s coastal microalgae have great potential to be used in medicine, agriculture, nutrition and as a renewable source of biofuel.  The result of a three-year study was published recently, which described the commercial uses of microalgae. The study is being conducted as part of collaboration between AUB, […]

A facility for the production of spirulina is being built near Bulgaria’s southern city of Pazardzhik. The farm will start functioning in 3 – 4 months and will produce the dietary supplement made from blue green algae. Magic Rose OOD Company makes the investment and the total amount of investment is nearly BGN 1.5M. The […]

Researchers from China have found that broiler diets supplemented with purified polymannuronate from marine brown algae help stimulate the activity of beneficial cecal microbiota and increase the production of lactic acid and volatile fatty acids. A 42-days experiment was conducted to analyze the results. The results also showed that polymannuronate supplementation increased average daily weight […]

Algae.Tec has shipped its first algae photobioreactor to Reliance’s Jamnagar Oil Refinery as part of its contract with Reliance Industries to build an 84-gallon-per-day pilot plant at the oil refinery. The photobioreactor will help in the production of algae by using CO2 from the refinery. The algae in turn will be used for the production of […]

SCHOTT, in partnership with Heliae, has announced that its new oval glass tubes for photobioreactors increases the dry biomass output by more than 22%. An indoor study was conducted by replacing round glass tubes with oval tubes in Heliae’s Helix Seed PBR. The study showed that oval tubes increase the overall output of algae by […]

Researchers from University of California, San Diego have teamed up with local surf suppliers to produce the world’s first algae surfboard blank. Algae oil was used to produce polyurethane foam that was both rigid and buoyant enough to be made into surfboard blanks. The experts at Arctic Foam completed the surfboard with layers of fibreglass […]

Researchers from Canada have conducted an experiment to find the practicability of mixotrophic production of microalgae in pilot scale photobioreactors.  The study was conducted with Scenedesmus obliquus, a species which has the ability to assimilate a wide variety of carbon sources. Initially autotrophic experiments were conducted to obtain behaviour and then mixotrophic experiments were conducted. The results […]