Category: Blog

The Algae Foundation has recently announced the availability of the Introduction to Algae MOOC. The Massive Open Online Course offered through Coursera was produced at the University of San Diego and taught by Drs. Steve Mayfield of UCSD and Ira “Ike” Levine, University of Southern Maine.

We invite you to sign up for this wonderful opportunity to learn the “Power of Algae” and share this course with all of your colleagues in the science community, educators, and your social networks. This course brings together some of foremost algae experts from industry and academia to share their experience and understandings of the fundamentals of algae.

Click here and enroll in the Algal MOOC today!

 

The Department of Energy’s Joint Genomics Institute recently announced they are accepting Letters of Intent for large-scale sequence-based genomic science projects that address DOE missions in sustainable biofuel production, global carbon recycling, and biogeochemistry. 

A number of topics will be given special consideration, including algal genomics. 

Letters of intent must be submitted by March 30, 2018! 

For more information, please visit the CSP page. 

Are you ready to help tell the story of algae to a wider audience? The Algae Biomass Organization is creating a new Communications Committee to help get the word out about all of the exciting developments in algae research, commercialization and product development. 

Participation is open to all ABO members. Communications and public relations representatives of ABO members are also welcome.

The committee’s first priorities will include:

• Executing new public relations, web and social media campaigns
• Promoting algae-based products, research and commercial breakthroughs
• Publicizing the positive role algae can play in solving global challenges 
• Documenting the economic benefits of a robust algae industry

Volunteering for an ABO committee is also a great opportunity to build your own network and develop a leadership role in the industry.  

The Communications Committee is chaired by ABO board member Dr. Rebecca White, Vice President of Operations at Qualitas Health.

To join the committee, please RSVP to Barb Scheevel  at: bscheevel@algaebiomass.org   

Join us and help raise the profile of all things algae!
 

Arizona State University will be hosting a memorial service, or perhaps better termed, a celebration, of Prof. Milt Sommerfeld’s life, on Saturday, 10 March 2018, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI), ASU Polytechnic Campus, 7418 E. Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ 85212.

Prof. Sommerfield, who passed away last year after a battle with cancer, spent his career inspiring the next generation of algae researchers and all of those who met him with his humor, knowledge and passion. He started the Laboratory of Algae Research and Biotechnology (LARB) in Arizona, which later became the AzCATI, and acts as one of the key research hubs for algae in the United States. He was also instrumental in developing the Algae Testbed Public Private Partnership (ATP3), which offers third-party technology verification for those researchers looking to test out their technology.

This event is open to the public and all of Milt’s colleagues, friends, students and associates. Please contact Thomas.dempster@asu.edu with questions or to contribute photographs of Milt that you may have from any chapter of his 48 year academic career.

In a historic victory for algae and other microbial technologies, Congress late last night approved a two-year budget agreement that establishes a $35 per ton tax incentive for carbon captured and recycled from power plants or industrial facilities using algae or other biologically-based carbon capture and use (CCU) systems. 

The bill adds algae and a number of other CCU approaches to the existing section 45Q Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) tax credit, which was previously available only to geologic storage and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects. It also substantially increases the credit rate from the previous $10 a ton to $35 a ton, extends the credit for up to 12 years, and expands the universe of eligible CO2 sources to include industrial and air capture facilities in addition to fossil power plants.

This historic outcome is the result of tireless work by ABO and its supporters in Congress to put algae on a level playing field with CCS and EOR when it comes to carbon capture policy, and to grow federal policy support for the full spectrum of CCU approaches.

A huge thanks to Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) for leading the charge; to the Congressional Algae Caucus for its support in the House, and to the many members of the Algae Nation who participated in this historic campaign.