Kearny, NJ and La Jolla, CA – Avoca, Inc., a division of Pharmachem Laboratories, Inc., has formed a supply agreement with Synthetic Genomics, Inc. (SGI), a privately held company developing and commercializing genomic driven solutions and products in a variety of industries, to extract and commercialize natural astaxanthin from a strain of algae developed by SGI. The multi-year supply agreement also provides Avoca with exclusivity for product sales in North America. Pharmachem Laboratories will be responsible for marketing and sales. SGI is developing this product through their Genovia Bio business unit, which is responsible for the development and commercialization of algal-based food, chemical and fuel products. Financial details were not disclosed. Continue Reading →

San Diego, CA and Kailua-Kona, HI – Cellana, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a letter of intent with Galil Algae Cooperative Agriculture Society Limited, with the objective of partnering for the production of high-value algae products for aquaculture applications. Currently, Cellana produces industrial-scale quantities of ReNew™ Algae – high-value algae biomass rich in Omega-3 nutritional oils, proteins, fuel-grade oils, cosmetic-grade oils, acids, and polysaccharides, as well as other valuable micronutrients – at its Kona Demonstration Facility in Hawaii. At its facility in northern Israel, Galil Algae currently produces a variety of whole-algae products that are rich in Omega-3s for aquaculture applications. Continue Reading →

Neste Oil and Renewable Algae Energy (RAE), a US-based algae biomass producer, have signed a contingent commercial algae oil off-take agreement. Algae oil is one of the alternatives being researched by Neste Oil for use as a feedstock for producing NEXBTL renewable diesel in the future. Continue Reading →

The European Union has recently adopted an ambitious strategy for developing the Bioeconomy. In this context, microalgae represent an emerging biological resource of great importance for its potential applications in different fields, in particular as a new source of valuable nutrients for human and animal consumption. A new JRC report provides an in-depth review of microalgae production systems, markets, R&D developments and product pipeline, and unveils the experts’ opinion on Europe’s present and future challenges in the sector. Continue Reading →

Chemikern und Biologen der Universität Konstanz gelang die Umwandlung von Algenöl in höherwertige chemische Rohstoffe über die sogenannte isomerisierende Alkoxycarbonylierung. Damit bereiten sie die Grundlage für eine Nutzung von Algen als chemischer Grundstoff für eine große Bandbreite von Materialien und Produkten, noch über die Verwendung der Alge als Ersatzstoff für Rohöl hinaus. Die Forschungsergebnisse wurden aktuell im Wissenschaftsjournal „Angewandte Chemie“ veröffentlicht. Continue Reading →

Mikroalgen spielen in der Fachwelt zunehmend eine wahrnehmbare Rolle – sei es als Rohstofflieferant für die Kosmetik- oder Pharmaindustrie, als Tierfutterzusatz oder als innovative Kraftstoffquelle. Zur Kultivierung von Mikroalgen werden Photobioreaktoren eigesetzt, die je nach Ausführung als Schlüsseltechnologie für einen innovativen Biomassekreislauf gelten. Die in Kürze auf dem Betriebsgelände der Agrar-Energie Obernhausen (AEO) in Bad Fallingbostel-Mengebostel zum Einsatz kommende Technik wird seit einigen Jahren auf dem Campus der Technischen Hochschule in Wildau (Brandenburg) erforscht. Continue Reading →

Washington, DC (June 18, 2014) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced Matthew Carr, Ph.D. as its executive director. Dr. Carr has more than a decade of policy and advocacy experience, most recently serving as Managing Director of the Industrial and Environmental section at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). He will be focused on continuing to develop ABO’s membership and lead the organization’s efforts to accelerate the development of algae technologies that serve trillion-dollar markets in fuels, feed, food and chemical industries. Continue Reading →

A UNSW-led team of researchers has discovered how algae that survive in very low levels of light are able to switch on and off a weird quantum phenomenon that occurs during photosynthesis. The function in the algae of this quantum effect, known as coherence, remains a mystery, but it is thought it could help them harvest energy from the sun much more efficiently. Continue Reading →

Sao Pedro, Brazil – Within the framework of an expansion strategy for the Latin American region, Alltech commenced construction this week on an algae production plant on the same premises as Alltech Sao Pedro, the largest yeast plant for animal nutrition in the world. This new $63 million investment in Brazil will generate more than 200 direct and indirect jobs, and it will increase Alltech’s Latin America production by 58 percent. Continue Reading →

Lestrem, France – Roquette, a global leader in processing plant-based raw materials (corn, wheat, potatoes, peas and microalgae) introduces a production unit dedicated to microalgae at its industrial site in Lestrem (Pas de Calais, France). This industrial unit formally launches a new range of food ingredients made from renewable plant-based raw materials with exceptional nutritional potential. Continue Reading →