The Algae Biomass Organization is introducing two new membership categories for the academic community that is contributing so much to the advancement of algae and seaweed-based solutions.
These new categories have been designed to provide more accessible avenues for university department heads, mentors and students to engage with the commercial algae industry, as well as a broad global research community.
They come after hundreds of academic participants took the stage at the virtual 2021 Algae Biomass Summit to share their progress with a global audience. A number of ABO board members took note, and felt that even stronger participation from this community will be important as the world begins to recognize that algae and seaweed will be important components of a sustainable economy.
The new ABO membership options are meant to give the academic community even more engagement opportunities with the organization’s growing network. Some of these benefits include:
- Discounts to ABO events, such as the Algae Biomass Summit;
- Preferred scoring for abstracts submitted to the Summit;
- New talent and workforce development programs;
- Information about federal funding opportunities, and avenues to work with other members to build compelling applications;
- Reciprocal member benefits with ABO’s global partners, such as the European Algae Biomass Association;
- Platforms to share organization or student milestones on ABO’s websites, newsletters, social media and ABO events; and more.
Every university with an interest in algae and seaweed will have different goals, so we have developed two ways for institutions to join ABO and begin building new connections. They are:
A University membership level
The new University membership level is open to all academic labs, research centers, and institutes. The primary contact for this type of membership might be a primary investigator or a professor running a lab or department at a university. Up to 5 students in that department are eligible for annual ABO membership, and all the benefits that come with it. The University level comes with the same benefits as a Bronze-level corporate membership at ABO, such as event discounts, VIP opportunities, and access to members-only resources.
A University Premium level
For larger programs, the University Premium category allows for up to 10 students, as well as the department head, to qualify for ABO’s membership benefits. There are also some additional perks that come with this level, equivalent to an ABO Gold-level membership.
There is no doubt that a more robust academic participation in ABO’s efforts is vital to building an industry that can responsibly address some of the greatest challenges the world faces. Researchers, students and their supporting networks within universities have made some of the most important advances that are reducing the costs of algae cultivation, creating new products, and finding locations that are best suited to sustainably and productively grow algae and seaweed.
These findings have provided insight for startups and commercial projects that are working to make algae and seaweed a mainstream ingredient in dozens of markets. In many cases, new companies have been spun out directly from innovations developed in academic settings. With the new membership category, efforts like those will have one more avenue to make contacts, share results, solve problems and ultimately succeed.
“Algae and seaweed can play an outsized role in addressing climate change, water issues, food security challenges and more only if the academic community has a strong voice, and ample resources to advance science,” said Dr. Rebecca White, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “We have organized our new university memberships to maximize the opportunities for collaboration and resource development in the research community.”
More information about ABO’s University membership categories, and others can be found here.
To reach out about becoming a member please contact ABO today!
Viridos is one of the Algae Biomass Organization’s oldest members, but you might not know it from their new name. Formerly known as Synthetic Genomics, Viridos has taken its new title from the Greek word viridis, which means green or fresh. It’s a reference to a commitment to build the natural solutions we need to create a better future. Toward this mission, Viridos has made astounding progress on one of algae’s most promising potentials: sustainable, low-carbon biofuels.
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One of the most exciting developments for this year was the increased engagement we saw in the virtual format. Live networking sessions bookended the month-long event, and hundreds of questions and discussion threads were added to the Summit’s online platform. Some sought answers to technical questions, others were interested in tips on how to best prepare for a career in the algae and seaweed industries. In every speaker session a live Q&A allowed attendees to quiz presenters and make new connections.
Among the VIP speakers was US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who stressed that algae is primed to become a new agricultural sector that can add to global sustainability and economic development. We also saw keynote presentations from Michael Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy; Marcius Extavour, Vice President of Energy and Climate, XPRIZE; and Trond Helgerud, Seaweed and Clean Label R&D Leader, Managing Director at Dupont Nutrition Norge AS. All spoke about the critical role algae can play in becoming a technology platform with benefits for carbon capture, food, health care, fuel production and more. 
The Summit also included a number of special sessions on its agenda that explored new areas where ABO can accelerate its efforts. One included a presentation from the startBlue Accelerator at UC San Diego that is helping to form more startups focused on ocean-focused solutions to global challenges. Another was a macroalgae focus workshop that brought together seaweed experts of all stripes to explore the state of seaweed research and market development.