Algae for Value Added Applications – 15 Years Down the Road: What Have We Achieved? What Technology Can Make It Work? | Hotel Tivoli Lisboa – Lisbon, Portugal – 12 & 13 June, 2014

Am Forschungszentrum Jülich hat der Parlamentarische Staatssekretär Bleser beim Bundesminister für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft, Peter Bleser, am Freitag das Algen-Science-Center eröffnet. Es wird dort eine Pilotanlage für die Erzeugung von Bio-Kerosin aus Mikroalgen entstehen.

A team led by Arum Han, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, is developing microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems that can be used as high-throughput screening tools to quickly evaluate the growth and oil production characteristics of numerous algal strains under various growth conditions.

After many decades of research into microalgae as an important raw material for food, feed and fish farming the cost aspect remains the main bottleneck. The potential of micro-algae and aquatic biomass is huge, but what solutions are there for hands to earn back the high costs?

Washington, D.C. – March 26, 2014 – A new survey of the algae industry conducted by the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) broadly shows an industry that is growing, from increased production of biomass and oils, to increased hiring, to a wider variety of end products. The survey was conducted in March 2014 and includes more than 280 responses from companies and individuals involved in directly producing and buying algae or algae-derived products, as well as equipment manufacturers, research laboratories, providers of equipment or materials, government agencies and service providers.

Algae are organisms useful in many ways in the transition towards a bio-economy. Even in a cool climate as in Finland, algae might be used to produce biochemicals and biofuels, besides use in capture of industrial carbon dioxide emissions. The ALGIDA project coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland explored algae growing in Finland.

„Biologische Mikrobizide aus Algen und Pflanzen zur Konservierung von kosmetischen Formulierungen“ standen in den letzten drei Jahren im Focus der Projektarbeit von IGV Biotech. Die natürlichen Konservierungsmittel sollen sowohl chemisch-synthetische Konservierungsstoffe in konventioneller Kosmetik ersetzen, als auch den strengen Anforderungen von Naturkosmetik gerecht werden. In dem von der ILB unter der Registriernummer 80139583 geförderten Projekt wurden Mikroalgen sowie Makroalgen und ausgewählte Pflanzen bezüglich ihrer mikrobiziden Inhaltsstoffe untersucht.

Algatechnologies (“Algatech”), Israel, announces a more than 100% expansion of its production capacity of AstaPure® brand natural astaxanthin. This doubling of capacity follows an investment of $20 million in its state-of-the-art facility in the Arava Desert, Israel.

A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown for the first time that several types of aquatic algae can detect orange, green and blue light, using photoreceptors that help them adapt to their environment.

The question of why an individual would actively kill itself has been an evolutionary mystery. Death could hardly provide a fitness advantage to the dying individual. However, a new study has found that in single-celled algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii), suicide benefits the organism’s relatives.