Private: ABO Blog

Students – Are you interested in doing more for your industry while completing your degree? Help define the algae sector of today and shape the industry of tomorrow as an Algae Biomass Organization volunteer virtual intern.

Internships of 8-12 weeks are available and are completely online. Interns serve a vital role by assisting ABO with industry and policy research, social media and communications. Interns leave their experience with a new understanding of the interconnections between research, industry, government and policy, along with exciting new insights and connections. 

Individuals interested in the ABO volunteer virtual internship program should send a brief cover letter and CV or resume to Barb Scheevel, bscheevel@algaebiomass.org.

Get your abstracts for the 2019 Algae Biomass Summit ready! The Algae Foundation has announced that it is offering $500 travel grants to attend the 13th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in Orlando, Florida, from September 16-19, 2019.

More information on the Mary Rosenthal Student Travel Grant can be found here.

The priority deadline for abstract submission is January 31, 2019, although abstracts will be considered past that point.

When you submit your 2019 Algae Biomass Summit Abstract, please select “Yes” at the end of the application to receive more information about the Student Travel Grant!

To qualify students must meet the following criteria:

• Be an ABO Member ($75 for Students);
• Be a high school, undergraduate, graduate student or pre-doctoral student or
• Be a PhD with a post-doctoral appointment and is currently involved in a full-time academic research program for no longer than 2 years.
• Submit an abstract to present a poster or oral presentation at ABS 2018 and be the presenting author of the abstract. 
• Provide a suggested budget to attend the Summit
• Provide a current letter of recommendation for ABS 2019 from an academic advisor.

Please contact Philip Pienkos at philip.pienkos@nrel.gov for more information.

The Algae Academy is currently accepting applications for their Spring rollout of their K-12 Algae Curriculum! Please share the application link with any educators you know, applications are due February 1st. Awarded teachers will receive 5-days of algae-focused lesson plans, live algae, laboratory supplies and educator support throughout the program…free of charge!

Apply here

Since 2015, the Algae Academy curriculum has been executed in over 70 schools nationwide serving students in 2nd-12th grade. We are kicking off the new year by selecting 50 new teachers to participate in our Algae Academy 2019 Spring Session in March. To apply for an Algae Academy kit, please complete the linked application and submit to the selection committee by February 1, 2019. Awarded teachers will be notified by February 8th and kits will be delivered one week prior to the module start. Please contact Marissa Nalley at mnalley@thealgaefoundation.org with any questions.

The Algae Academy is an initiative of The Algae Foundation, a national 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to promote the power of algae to transform human society and the environment upon which it depends. The Foundation is committed to partnering with teachers and developing programming that meet the new Next Generation Science Standards in an exciting and innovative way to inspire students and their families, as well as teachers and their teams. Please visit our website, thealgaefoundation.org.

By Amir Kaufman, COO and co-founder, Wonderlogix

Biotech is full of innovative startups, but most stumble with industrialization as they begin to scale. Here’s how one company succeeded in scaling up with commercial automation.

As they move from the “hands-on” approach of their founders to full automation, biotech companies often struggle.  They fear a loss of control through use of third-party automation engineers, a threat to IP as these contracted engineers move within the industry, and the difficult cultural change of transitioning from an idea-driven enterprise to one of process-driven automation and industrialization.  Many companies falter during this period. But the right technology partner can offer solutions to address all these challenges.

AlgaeMor’s Move to Commercial Scale Automation

With the proven nutritional value of Spirulina, it would have seemed that this particular strain of algae would have had an immediate market.  But inherent challenges, including taste and smell characteristics, limited its impact and relegated it to pill form as a work-around. Enter AlgaeMor, whose innovative quick freeze process allows it to be sold as fresh while retaining its nutritional value by avoiding heating and drying.  

But as groundbreaking as this process was, automation remained elusive due to the product’s unique characteristics and sensitive nature. The requirement of low sheer equipment and blast freezers meant that process control would have to be precise. AlgaeMor’s co-founder, Baruch Dach, worked in vain for over three months with automation engineers to develop and implement a working process control strategy. With frustration and cost rising, he turned to the WonderLogix platform for a solution.

Algaetech Innovation Meets Automation Innovation

No stranger to innovation, AlgaeMor recognized WonderLogix’s unique approach to automation control. Using Object-Oriented Design principles, the WonderLogix platform allows users—in this case, the life scientists who work directly with the product—to define the components of the system. These components allow the use of natural language and the grouping of components into classes where mass changes can be achieved with a single change to inputs. With specified inputs and outputs, users can then specify the logical relationships between components in plain English.  

AlgaeMor was able to use WonderLogix to model their entire production process. By developing a simulated model to test various scenarios, the scientists who understand their process best were able to retain complete control. The WonderLogix platform allowed the AlgaeMor life scientists to design, develop, and deploy an optimized process control strategy, as well as make changes as needed to their process criteria: environmental conditions, water quality, contaminating agents and strain specific constraints.

By using the WonderLogix platform, AlgaeMor was able to achieve in eight hours what had eluded them in the previous three months. In addition to the natural language capability, the platform also generates documentation automatically. It allows for change control and acts as the engineering-grade production manual, which also serves as the record for Intellectual Property and as a POC roadmap for potential investors. And once the model is finalized, documented and accepted, PLC code is generated automatically.

AlgaeMor Moves Forward with Process Design Control

By utilizing the WonderLogix platform, AlgaeMor was able to address the challenges facing many biotech companies today. Process design control was shifted from third-party automation engineers directly to the life scientists at AlgaeMor. And Intellectual Property was better shielded by keeping the design in-house.

Finally, what was once an operation run on ideas and a notebook, was moved to a documented, agile process that allowed AlgaeMor to scale and grow with far less cost and shorter time to market for their products.

About WonderLogix

WonderLogix is disrupting the world of industrial automation. Using our patented technology, anyone can design and program control systems, in plain English—no coding or engineering knowledge required. Our clients get to market 3x faster than their competition.

Please contact us for more info or to book a demo.

Note: This is a guest post for the ABO blog. The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) are theirs alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by the Algae Biomass Organization

The 2019 Algae Biomass Summit will be held September 16-19, 2019, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. This marks the 13th annual staging of the world’s largest algae conference and trade show, and its first return to Florida since 2013.

Commercial algae producers, algae product developers, and the scientific community are invited to share their milestones in:

• Microalgae and macroalgae research and technology
• New algae products and markets
• Key developments in financing and policy

Submissions are particularly encouraged from algae applications in these key theme areas:

• Food, Feed, Health & Nutrition
• Water, Climate & Soils
• Biofuels & Biomaterials

Abstracts submitted by January 31, 2019 will receive preferred evaluation by the event’s planning committee.

Expose your research, technology and commercial developments to the world’s largest gathering of algae thought leaders, investors, and policy makers!

View the Call for Abstracts Here