ABO Blog

Curating Algae. Creating Potential.

This month the Algae Biomass Organization is highlighting Bigelow Laboratory, a Silver-level member. Over the past 50 years, Bigelow Laboratory has reimagined ocean research – fusing scientific inquiry with entrepreneurial ingenuity. This unique approach powers two of the laboratory’s leading centers that will be familiar to the ABO community – the National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (NCMA), and the Center for Algal Innovations (CAI).

The National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (NCMA) curates, maintains, and distributes algae globally. With over 3,800 strains of microalgae and macroalgae, their collection is the most genetically diverse in the world – making it a treasure trove of genetic, chemical, and commercial opportunity.

NCMA is a world leader in this space, with over 40 years experience in culturing and preserving algae. They make their expertise available to clients and partners around the globe for algal culturing as well as biological material storage and preservation, including cryopreservation, and patent deposit requirements. Through NCMA’s training programs, algae professionals can learn culturing techniques and taxonomy from researchers at the forefront of their fields.

Novel Solutions from the Natural World.

From valuable compounds to innovative solutions, the Center for Algal Innovations (CAI) helps its clients and partners unlock the potential of marine algae. They do this by pairing their cutting-edge science and expertise with intimate knowledge of the world-renowned NCMA marine algae collection.

CAI was created to help bridge the gap – and lead the way – between promising research and commercialization. Their mission is to accelerate innovation by connecting researchers with entrepreneurs while leveraging the value and genetic resources of the NCMA collection.

CAI’s expertise helps partners navigate the research-to-product journey – from identifying strains and compounds of interest, to lab-scale testing and validation, and pilot-scale biomass production and post-processing. The Center for Algal Innovations also offers a wide variety of support services to clients including lab space and greenhouse rentals for algae-based R&D.

Bold Science for our Blue Planet

Bigelow Laboratory is the independent, nonprofit research institute behind both NCMA and CAI. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, their scientists use innovative approaches to study the foundation of global ocean health and unlock its potential to improve the future of all life on our planet.

Welcome, Bigelow Laboratory! To learn more about their mission and services, you can visit the webpages for NCMA and the Center for Algal Innovations, as well as Bigelow Laboratory’s website. You can also reach out to Dr. Mike Lomas, a senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory and the director of both NCMA and CAI, at mlomas@bigelow.org or 207-315-2567 x311.

Fall has been a busy time period for ABO staff.  Fresh off of a successful Summit, ABO has lots of momentum and has been out meeting with key stakeholders, convening advisory committee meetings, planning upcoming member programming and expanding our member affinity programs.  Below are some highlights. 

SAF Financing Workshop

 ABO member company, Brightwave, LLC (www.brightwavellc.com) represented the ABO at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) invite-only SAF Financing Workshop in New York City on November 14th. The purpose of this workshop was to continue the agency’s goal of increasing widespread deployment of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels. Feedstock and fuel producers, financiers, and airlines attended this event. Brightwave founders Tim Shaw and Ken Peretti represented algae’s role as a critical feedstock in SAF production. More pathways to SAF production are advantageous for the climate and for the economy – and essential to the airlines’ ability to decarbonize. Feedstock diversity is crucial to strengthening and expanding those pathways, and the ABO will continue to demonstrate how advanced algae production technologies can contribute.  Key interactions and outreach at this workshop will continue to place algae front and center in ongoing discussions related to pathways to create a carbon neutral aviation fleet by 2050.  Tim and Kevin shared their key findings with members of ABO’s SAF Advisory Committee.  If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact Jon Kallen directly at jkallen@algaebiomass.org. 

Algae in Iowa 

ABO Executive Director Jon Kallen presented an overview of ABO to the state of Iowa’s Governor Reynolds staff and the Iowa Economic Development Director on November 14^th.  Jon was able to promote the key role algae will play in the economy of Iowa and the upper Midwest in the areas of SAF, regenerative agriculture, feed, food and wastewater treatment.  ABO is proud to call Iowa home and looks to use our new headquarters office as a platform to grow the regions economy and open up markets for our members.

ABO Executive Director Jon Kallen was also keynote speaker at the Iowa Energy Center meeting on November 15^th.  The Iowa Energy Center is a state-run board and includes high level representatives from rate regulated utilities, the Iowa Utilities Board, Governor’s office, large Iowa companies and Iowa’s land grant universities. Jon provided an overview of ABO and highlighted the impacts of many of our member companies, universities and national laboratories. 

ABO is heading to Europe

ABO Executive Director Jon Kallen will attend and speak at the upcoming EABA AlgaEurope conference in Prague in mid-December.  Jon is looking to convene a meeting for ABO members attending this conference to meet with our counterparts with EABA and their members to discuss ways to enhance collaboration and communication between the U.S. and Europe.  Please reach out to Jon if you are planning to attend EABA so you can participate in this dialogue.   

ABO committees ramping up on SAF, Food & Feed, regenerative agriculture and government relations. 

 Our SAF and Water and Environmental Resources Advisory Committees held meetings in November to continue to develop policy positions and platforms to increase member collaboration and external outreach to key stakeholders.  If you are interested in joining these committees please contact Jon at jkallen@algaebiomass.org.  ABO is interested in resurrecting both the Feed and Food Committee and the Executive Policy Committee (government relations).  We also have some interest in creating a Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Committee. If you are interested in joining please contact Jon. 

More affinity programs for ABO members

Jon Kallen and Carrie Cox from ABO continue to meet with external partners to develop potential member affinity programs.  Our friends at Eurofins Craft labs have agreed to continue their member discount for testing services program for 2024.  We are also in discussions with marketing providers and benefits companies to potentially roll out member discount programs in these areas.  For more information on the Eurofins Craft program, please contact Jon.

Don’t forget to renew your membership!

Also, it is that time of the year – member invoices are going out.  We need you all to continue to grow ABO and be an effective and strong voice for the algae industry.  We are a member supported organization and have tons of momentum and we need you all!  You can join or renew via the ABO member portal here. Please contact Jon if you wish to discuss your current membership or rejoin ABO – we will go to work for you!!

The 2023 Algae Biomass Summit concluded on October 11 in Madison, Wisconsin and the overall feeling of the hundreds of attendees can be summed up in one statement: It’s good to be back!

The first in-person Summit since the pandemic kicked off early with a special Sunday session for investors and startups looking to take advantage of the potentials of algae and seaweed-based technologies. Founders that have raised $100 million sat next to those just finalizing early seed funding to compare stories, discuss how hurdles can be overcome, and how they are positioning themselves for success in today’s VC environment. Investors from angel funds shared what they are looking for, and how founders can expand their networks to fully tap the potential of VC funding opportunities. 

The next day opened the official programing of the Summit. Keynotes, plenaries, technical sessions and poster presentations offered everyone a chance to see the latest progress in algae and seaweed research, as well as the remarkable commercialization opportunities. Topics explored included advanced biomaterials production, food, feed, sustainable aviation fuels and more–the entire spectrum of our industry was explored. 

See below for some of the highlights in pictures:

Farewell to Barb Scheevel

One particularly heartfelt moment came when it was time to wish ABO’s longtime Administrative Coordinator Barb Scheevel a happy retirement. As many in our community know, Barb has been a fixture at ABO since the organization’s founding. She has guided new members, assisted the Board of Directors at every turn, and played a key role in organizing the Summit over the years. Her contributions cannot be overstated and she will be missed. We wish her happy times with her friends and family!

Presentations Available to Attendees

For attendees that could not attend every session: Speaker slide decks are being made available to ABO members and attendees only. Attendees can access the presentations in the Whova event app here. We will also be making slide decks available to all ABO members in our member portal here.

It was great to be back in person, and ABO looks forward to planning our 2024 Summit. Keep your eyes open for details!

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) recognized the winners of the 2023 Algae Industry Awards earlier this month at the 2023 Algae Biomass Summit. Jon Kallen, ABO’s executive director, presented the awards to the outstanding leaders, companies and innovations that are at the forefront of efforts to develop new technologies and commercial markets for sustainable products derived from algae and seaweed.

The Algae Industry Awards recognize excellence in several categories. The 2023 winners include:

Champions of Algae Award – Shawn Starkenburg, Group Leader – Genomics and Bioanalytics,  Los Alamos National Laboratory, for his contributions to science, mentorship and collaboration that have been invaluable to countless individuals and organizations devoted to harnessing the potential of algae.

Unsung Hero Award – Jen Johansen, VP of Quality, Regulatory & Government Affairs, Cyanotech Corporation, for her contributions to the algae and seaweed community that have made us stronger and more prepared to deliver a sustainable future than ever before.

Project of the Year Award – the CLEARAS EcoRecover system at the wastewater treatment plant for the city of Waupun, Wisconsin, that is using advanced algae cultivation technologies to treat water, reduce carbon emissions and provide a sustainable feedstock for eco-friendly product development.

Product of the Year – Sophie’s BioNutrients, for the company’s algae-derived protein flours that are produced with an unmatched sustainability profile. 

“Each of these leaders have made invaluable contributions to an industry that is beginning to deliver products and services suited for a future that will demand a higher degree of sustainability and performance than ever before,” said Kallen. “They deserve congratulations for their vision, commitment and perseverance.” 

About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization is the non-profit trade association and unified voice of the algae industry. Working on behalf of all sectors, the ABO advocates for algae-advancing policy and funding, serves as a hub for innovation and networking, and drives demand for “made with algae” products and services.

The annual Algae Biomass Summit, ABO’s signature event, is the largest global gathering of algae producers, researchers, investors, suppliers, policy makers, and other stakeholders.

Founded in 2008, the ABO is led by a Board of Directors representative of the industry’s value chain. Together, with the broader membership, they strive to deliver on the shared mission to promote and accelerate the power of algae to create a step-change in the health and well-being of humanity and the environment. More information is at: www.algaebiomass.org.

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is proud to announce the winners of the Young Researcher Poster Competition, presented earlier this month at the 2023 Algae Biomass Summit. This year’s competition showcased some of the most promising young talent in the field of algae and seaweed research and innovation, with participants from diverse institutions around the world.

More than 100 researchers participated in the poster competition at the 2023 Algae Biomass Summit. Winners were judged on method design, how their research fit into the broader body of scientific research in their field, visual clarity and presentation skills. The winners’ innovative work spans various aspects of algae and seaweed research, from environmental sustainability and biodiesel production to novel textile applications and toxin validation.

The winners of the Algae Biomass Summit’s Young Researcher Poster Competition are as follows:

1st Place in Research Design and Methods:
Rahul Kumar of the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, India.
Title of Poster: “Enhanced elimination of Particulate matter, Formaldehyde, and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC’s) using diatoms embedded microalgal biochar (non-activated) for indoor air purification.”

1st Place in Engineering Innovation:
Drashti Mojidra of the University of Houston in Sugarland, Texas
Title of Poster: “Processing Nannochloropsis gaditana to biodiesel using immobilized enzymes and microorganisms.”

1st Place in Biological Innovation:
Jeileen Luciano-Rodriguez of the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Title of Poster: “Nanostructure Textile based on Sargassum sp. and byproducts.”

1st Place in Aspirational Research and Creativity:
Katrina Bucci of the Army Educational Outreach Program in Gunpowder, MD
Title of Poster: “Validation of Algal Strains for Toxin Production.”

The 2023 Young Researcher Poster Competition was a highly competitive event, and these exceptional young scientists and researchers have demonstrated their dedication to advancing the field of algae and seaweed science. 

“We are immensely proud of these young innovators and their contributions to the algae community. Their groundbreaking research and creative thinking are essential in advancing the algae industry and solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Jon Kallen, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization.

The Algae Biomass Summit serves as the leading forum for professionals and experts in the algae industry to exchange ideas, explore new research, and promote the ongoing development of algae-based solutions for a sustainable future. The Young Researcher Poster Competition is a key component of the event, providing a platform for emerging talent to present their work and network with industry leaders.

The Algae Biomass Organization congratulates Rahul Kumar, Drashti Mojidra, Jeileen Luciano-Rodriguez, and Katrina Bucci on their well-deserved achievements. Their dedication to advancing algae research and innovation promises a brighter, more sustainable future.