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.