Tuesday is Algae Day at BIO World Congress

The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology is the world’s largest gathering of the industrial biotech sector, bringing together the biggest names in food and agriculture, energy and manufacturing, and more. And this year the Congress will host its first ever Algae Day!

ABO is partnering with BIO to present a full day of algae programming on the conference’s opening day, Tuesday, July 17, featuring presentations from leading ABO members, including Algama, Algenol, Arizona State University, Corbion Biotech, DSM, Qualitas Health and more. Sessions include:

Then join ABO staff and Directors for a Meet & Greet at the conclusion of the day’s programming, 6:00-7:30pm at 13 Restaurant in the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. RSVP here. Join us!

Algae 101: Commercial Applications for Algae

Meet the Biggest Names in the Algae Industry at this Special Networking Session Before the Algae Biomass Summit!
  
We have just announced a new, exclusive session that will kick off the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit this year in The Woodlands, Texas!

Algae 101 is a chance to meet face-to-face with the scientific and commercial leaders that are turning algae into a game-changing technology.

Hear from the insiders that are using algae to revolutionize food, nutrition, water treatment, advanced materials, energy and many other markets.

Register soon–this exclusive session sold out last year!

 
Algae 101
Sunday, October 14, 2018
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center
The Woodlands (Greater Houston), Texas
$75 for ABO members
$100 for non-members

Learn more

Contact Your U.S. Senators TODAY in Support of Algae Agriculture

The algae community is close to radically altering the way U.S. farm policy approaches algae – but only if we make our voices heard.

Following months of outreach, education and advocacy by ABO and its members, the U.S. Senate is considering a series of proposals to boost U.S. Department of Agriculture support for algae agriculture and related technologies. The fate of these proposals could be determined this week.

Thanks to remarkable work by ABO and its partners, the 5-year Farm Bill being debated this week in the U.S. Senate contains several provisions to boost algae agriculture, including:

  • Nearly $900 million for Title IX “Energy Title” programs
  • Full eligibility for algae under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
  • Improvements to the Biorefinery Assistance loan guarantee program
  • New USDA Carbon Utilization Education program

But the fate of three key amendments remains up in the air:

  • USDA Algae Research Initiative – Amendment SA 3205 from Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tom Udall (D-NM) would for the first time establish an Algae Research Initiative at USDA, creating a home for research on algae for food and feed, soil health and nutrient management, and other applications of algae in agriculture. ABO secured a similar provision in the House of Representatives’ version of the bill, but it was not included in the language approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier in June.
  • Loans for Carbon Capture and Use – A pair of amendments (SA 3341 and SA 3342) from Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) would provide explicit eligibility for biological carbon capture and use (CCU) projects, including algae, under USDA’s Rural Electric Loan program and Biorefinery Assistance Program.

Please call, tweet, or Facebook message your two U.S. Senators TODAY with the following message:

“My name is [YOUR NAME] from [YOUR ORGANIZATION] in [YOUR TOWN]. I am [calling/writing] to ask Senator [YOUR SENATOR]to support the growing algae industry in [YOUR STATE] by asking Agriculture Committee Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow to please include the Cornyn-Udall amendment SA 3205, as well as Bennet amendments SA 3341 and SA 3342 in the Farm Bill managers’ package.”   

>>>Find your Senators’ phone numbers here: CALL

>>>Find their twitter handle here: TWEET

>>>Find their Facebook page here: MESSAGE

More than ever, Senators really do pay attention to these kind of messages, especially when they come from constituents. We need as many Senators as possible to know about the importance of these amendments to the algae community. So get on the phone or your favorite social media platform TODAY and let your Senators hear from the Algae Nation.

Where Young Innovators Can Make Connections at the Algae Biomass Summit

Looking to make connections at the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit? Visit the Young Innovators Lounge (YIL), a space aimed at connecting young ABO members with companies, entrepreneurs and experienced researchers focused on algae products, technology development and more.

Networking at the Algae Biomass Summit
Young innovators networking at the Algae Biomass Summit

Students, and early career professionals interested in learning and connecting are welcome to participate. The YIL occurs during the energy breaks between sessions at the Summit–check the agenda for timing and location.

Stop by to talk to our guests from industry, academia, national laboratories and innovative companies and organizations who will share their experience in the algae sector and connect with you.

Come, learn and build your network in the algae sector!

Are you interested in becoming a mentor and speaker for the Young Innovator Lounge? Contact Everett Eustance and Adriana Alvarez De La Hoz at everett.eustance@asu.edu & alvar353@umn.edu

The 2018 Young Innovators Lounge is sponsored by BioProcess Algae.

 

Gross-Wen Technologies Raises $2 Million for Wastewater Treatment Tech

One of ABO’s newest members, Iowa-based Gross-Wen Technologies, recently announced a $2 million investment from Doerfer Corporation, a US-based engineering and manufacturing firm. 

The investment will be used to further commercialize Gross-Wen’s algal wastewater treatment technology developed at Iowa State University.

GWT’s technology uses advanced algae cultivation techniques to remove nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewater. The algae biomass that is produced can be used as a slow-release fertilizer or to make bioplastics and biofuels.

A press release includes more information about the investment and Gross-Wen’s progress toward deploying the technology at commercial scale. GWT recently demonstrated the process at pilot-projects in Iowa as well as one with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Here’s a video of the installation in Chicago:


GWT Founder and President Dr. Martin Gross says the system is now ready for commercial deployment. In addition to offering an effective water treatment option, the system can also introduce a new revenue stream for treatment plant operators. 

“Most communities don’t want to sell algae, that’s not their business model, but it is ours,” Gross said. “We provide an offtake agreement for the algae and profit share with the community. So, a conventional municipal treatment plant that was traditionally a cost center now creates a revenue stream when they implement our system.”

More coverage of the investment and Gross-Wen’s approach is available here.