Category: Press

First place engineering awards for students at Colorado State University, UC San Diego 

DENVER –September 27, 2012 – Six student scientists were presented with the first Young Algae Researcher Awards today in Denver for their contributions to fields of algae biology and engineering on the final day of the 2011 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of theAlgal Biomass Organization (ABO).

The awards are presented at the world’s largest gathering of algae industry and academic leaders to recognize outstanding research projects by early-career scientists that are finding new ways to use algae to create a range of renewable fuel and chemical products, remediate polluted water and consume carbon dioxide.

A total of 26 applications and posters were received from U.S. and international students hailing from Canada, Qatar and the Netherlands.

“There were so many highly qualified applications it was hard to make a decision,” said David Levin, of the University of Manitoba. “The future is bright for our industry and our planet with so many young, brilliant and dedicated students.”

The Young Algae Research Awards are presented to winners for research conducted in two subject areas: biology and engineering.

For outstanding research in algae biology awards went to:

 1^st Prize:  Beth Rasala, University of California San Diego, Development of molecular genetic tools for algae biotechnology.

2^nd Prize: Justin Ungerer, National Renewable Energy Lab, Sustained photosynthetic conversion of CO₂ to ethylene in Synechocystis 6803.

3^rd Prize: Henri Gerken, AzCATI at Arizona State University, Advanced characteristics of Chorella vulgaris cell walls by enzymatic degradation.

For outstanding research in algae engineering awards went to:

1^st Prize:  Esteban Hincapie, Colorado State University, Design of a continuous flow algae harvesting devise: Ultrasonic property measurements and finite element analysis.

2^nd Prize:  Katerine Napan, Utah State University, Biodiesel production in combination with bioremediation of heavy metals from flue gas using microalgae.

3^rd Prize: Alex McCurdy, Utah State University, Biodiesel from algae, yeast, and bacteria: Engine performance and exhaust emissions

The Algae Biomass Summit concludes Thursday afternoon. Information on the event, including a full agenda is available at http://algaebiomasssummit.org.  Ongoing developments can also be monitored via the Twitter hashtag #ABS12. Next year’s Summit will be held in Orlando, Florida.

About the ABO

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Organization Estimates Algae in Pool Could Be Used to Make More Than 1.5 Million Gallons of Low Carbon, Domestic Fuel per Year

WASHINGTON, DC –September 26, 2012 — The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, today urged the National Park Service to delay draining the algae in the Lincoln Memorial Pool. Algae contain oils, proteins and carbohydrates that can be converted into low carbon fuels, chemicals, animal feed and health food. Based on estimates, the pool could produce more than 1.5 million gallons of low carbon, domestic fuel per year if it was used exclusively for algae production.

“While we would never advocate using the Pool to produce algae full time, it is a highly visual reminder that the attributes of algae which frustrate consumers are the very same that make algae ideal as an industrial raw material,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “Algae grow in a variety of places, multiply fast, and need only sunlight and CO2 to grow. Best of all, fuels made from algae work in existing engines with no modification.”

Currently more than 200 companies, labs, research institutions and entrepreneurs across the country are developing technologies to convert algae into fuels, feed and food. This week more than 750 industry leaders are showcasing breakthroughs in additional products, including paper, plastics and carpet fiber at the group’s 6th Annual Algae Biomass Summit.

With new production facilities planned or operating from Pennsylvania to New Mexico and from Florida to Hawaii, and many other places, algae-based fuels and other products are emerging as a new opportunity to create jobs and alternatives to imported fuel.

“We’re hard at work showing the world that algae will have a significant impact across many sectors of our economy, from chemicals and plastics, to health foods and nutraceuticals, to animal feed and renewable fuels,” said Rosenthal.

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algaebiomass.org .

Media Contact:
John Williams
Scoville PR for ABO
206-660-5503
jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Strategic and economic need for commercial production of food, feed and fuel from algae dominates discussions on Day One

DENVER (September 25, 2012) The 2012 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), officially opened yesterday afternoon in Denver with a keynote address by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) that emphasized the strategic imperative of developing a national industry that can produce cost-competitive domestic biofuels from feedstocks such as algae.

The Senator’s comments to a packed conference hall referred to the potential that a commercial biofuel industry has for the strategic priorities of the nation’s military. Senator Udall listed a series of costs the military pays for a reliance on fossil fuels, from budget strains every time the price of gas goes up, to delays in readiness or the pressures associated with securing fuel supplies in politically unstable regions.

“Nobody understands this better than the troops on the ground,” said Udall, before noting that one in 50 supply convoys end in a U.S. casualty.

To the applause of an audience of more than 700 attendees Senator Udall announced his strong support for the efforts of the Department of Defense (DOD) to accelerate the commercial production of advanced biofuels. Noting the DOD’s long history of supporting technologies that later had enormous impacts outside military applications such as radar, GPS, and flat screen TV’s, Senator Udall told attendees that he would support pro-biofuel provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act and other legislation.

“The facts and the future are on our side,” said Udall, before encouraging the entrepreneurs, researchers, algae producers and end-users attending the Summit to keep pushing the algae industry’s development at all levels.

Following the Senator’s remarks, several algae business leaders discussed the latest trends that are shaping a dynamic and growing industry, including the new facilities that have opened in the past 12 months and plans to dramatically increase production over the next few years. Executives at Sapphire Energy, BioProcess Algae, Cellana, Heliae, and Algenol described their companies’ milestones toward commercial production of the many products that can be derived from algae.

The summit will continue through Thursday afternoon. Information on the event, including a full agenda is available at http://algaebiomasssummit.org.  Ongoing developments can also be monitored via the Twitter hashtag #ABS12.

The Summit comes at a time when industry is increasingly looking for new sources of sustainable raw materials—feedstock—for a wide range of end-uses. Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic, and climate challenges facing the world today. Algae have the power to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, recycle CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people and create jobs for millions of Americans without harmful impacts on freshwater supplies or valuable agricultural land. More information can be found atwww.allaboutalgae.com.

About the ABO

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Address kicks off agenda of regional and national leaders in rapidly growing industry producing biofuels, sustainable chemicals, feed and food products from algae

Denver, CO (September 13, 2012) The 6^th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization and the world’s largest algae industry gathering, today announced that Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper will deliver the opening keynote address when the event convenes in Denver on Monday, September 24^th. Governor Hickenlooper will welcome the industry to Colorado and discuss the importance developing algae-derived fossil fuel replacements and other products for the economy and energy independence.

The governor’s keynote will kick off a conference which features more than 200 poster and live presentations from industry leaders in algae research, commercialization and policy. Immediately following the governor’s address, executives from some of the top algae companies will discuss their own companies as well as pressing industry issues. Moderated by Biofuels Digest Editor Jim Lane, the session will feature Alex Aravanis, Chief Science Officer of Sapphire Energy; Tim Burns, Chief Executive Officer of BioProcess Algae; Martin Sabarsky, Chief Executive Officer of Cellana; Dan Simon, Chief Executive Officer of Heliae; and Paul Woods, Chief Executive Officer at Algenol Biofuels.  Hailing from Colorado, L. Hunter Lovins, President of Natural Capitalism Solutions will give a keynote address on Tuesday, September 25^th that will highlight unique combination of economic and environmental benefits that comes with algae.

“Colorado is home to some of the leading algae research and commercialization efforts and Governor Hickenlooper has been a strong advocate of clean energy and the benefits it can bring in terms of jobs, energy security and environmental sustainability,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of ABO. “The Governor’s decision to address the Summit is a reflection of how important the expanding algae industry is to finding new sources of renewable fuels, chemicals, feed and food without adverse impacts on water usage or valuable agricultural land.”

The 6^th Algae Biomass Summit will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel September 24-27. With an expected 90 live and 120 poster presentations, an expanded exhibition hall and record pre-registrations the 2012 Summit is on track to be the largest since the annual event began. The 2011 Algae Biomass Summit was attended by more than 800 stakeholders from more than 25 countries across the algae industry.

The Summit comes at a time when industry is increasingly looking for new sources of sustainable raw materials—feedstock—for a wide range of end uses. Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic, and climate challenges facing the world today. Algae have the power to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, recycle CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

The Algae Biomass Summit is produced by the Algal Biomass Organization, the trade association for the US algae Industry. More information about the Summit can be found at: www.algaebiomasssummit.org.

About the Algal Biomass Organization

The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Effort brings policymakers and others in direct contact with algae developers and technologies to see algae’s potential for domestic fuel, food and feed 

Minneapolis, MN (August 17, 2012) – On Monday, August 20, the first of a series of events featuring algae will kick off as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about the promise of the algae industry to create jobs, domestic fuels, and other food and feed products. Through open-house style events, local and national officials will experience the research, products and jobs being created by some of the algae industry’s leading companies and research institutions.

The “Summer of Algae II” is sponsored by the Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, and implemented by its member companies, with events primarily taking place during the next two weeks but also stretching into early Fall. The campaign’s name is a nod to the original Summer of Algae, coined by Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane to characterize the developments and momentum in the summer of 2009.

Companies and organizations participating in the events represent the broad geographic and technological variety of algae companies, including: Algaedyne (Minnesota); Algenol (Florida); Arizona State University (Arizona); BioProcess Algae, LLC (Iowa); Boeing Commercial Airplanes (Washington); Cellana (Hawaii); The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (Colorado); Duke Energy (Kentucky); FedEx (Tennessee); General Atomics (California); Matrix Genetics, LLC (Washington); Phycal (Ohio); The San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology at UC San Diego (California); Sapphire Energy (California); Solix BioSystems, Inc. (Colorado); St. Cloud State University (Minnesota); and Synthetic Genomics (California).

“The Summer of Algae II will demonstrate the truly national promise of algae-based technologies to create jobs, develop a domestic fuel industry and manufacture a variety of other goods and products,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “It’s important for policymakers at all levels to understand the huge potential of this industry to contribute to economic development, energy independence and national security.”

Currently, more than 200 companies across the U.S. are developing algae-based technologies to produce domestic, cost-competitive and sustainable products within multi-billion dollar industries such as fuels, animal feed, Omega-3 oils, cosmetics and other products. Continued instability in the Middle East along with heat waves and droughts in the U.S. Midwest serve as an important reminder of the need to continually diversify sources of fuel and food.

Campaign events range from small briefings with local officials to larger tours of laboratories and commercial facilities that include panel discussions among several regional algae companies and research groups to announcements about new technologies. Each event will focus on the unique local impact the industry is having on jobs, and how algae can be used to produce domestic fuels and products that enhance American energy security in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner.

A full list of events can be found on the Algae Biomass Organization’s Blog:www.algaebiomass.org/blog. Interested parties can follow the campaign on twitter @algaeindustry, #summerofalgae and on the Algae Biomass Organization facebook page.

In addition to education and outreach efforts with policymakers, ABO produces and hosts the industry’s premier annual global conference, the Algae Biomass Summit, which this year will be held in Denver, CO, September 24-27 at which more than 800 algae industry leaders are expected to convene. Earlier this year, ABO launched AllAboutAlgae.com, the first website designed to showcase algae’s potential to audiences ranging from those just learning about algae to seasoned algae enthusiasts, media and entrepreneurs.

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Contact:
John Williams, Scoville Public Relations for ABO
206-625-0075 x1, jwilliams@scovillepr.com