Woven wonders from water weeds and waste - CNN.com

Woven wonders from water weeds and waste - CNN.com

Algae Parc Wageningen UR - 4 junio 2014

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Wageningen Algae Parc

Flush to fuel- Inform - Membership - AOCS

Flush to fuel- Inform - Membership - AOCS

Aurora Algae — Algae in Agriculture :Algae Industry Magazine

Aurora Algae — Algae in Agriculture :Algae Industry Magazine

Dónde estamos con las microalgas al terminar el 2014

2014 YIR Part 1 — Algae Turns up Everywhere

January 4, 2015

A view down the #2 shaft of the U.K.’s Wheel Jane Mine, closed in the early 1990’s, where algae is being employed in an innovative new method of cleaning up contaminated mine water, while harvesting valuable resources in the process. Image courtesy of Modern Mines.

So what happened in the world of algae over the past year? While to many this question might conjure up images of algae-bloomed beaches, Toledo’s toxic water curse of the summer, or maybe just a thought that the concept of algal biofuel has gone bye bye in the wake of cheap oil.

But our readers know that there’s much more to the algae story and, in fact, 2014 was a year of amazing growth and breakthrough for algae’s advancement around the world. Algal oil for fuel may not have been the driving force it once was, but research and diversification have pushed through barriers in human and animal health, foods, feeds, and personal care products. Algae has exploded as a health supplement and has shown promise in many areas of medicine.

2014 witnessed new operations spring up to make paper and plastic from algae. And significant grassroots and governmental support developed in 2014 for carbon capture, utilizing algae to lighten our footprint on the planet.

Algae was doing just about everything other than produce fuel in this year of plunging oil prices. We saw algae help to clean up the radioactive spill in Fukashima, reclaim polluted water in abandoned mines in England, and help clear the air of smokestack CO₂ at a growing number of powerplants and industrial settings.

Much of the attention algae received in 2014 was in regards to advancements in human and animal health. The strongest growth areas were in the development and marketing of Omega-3 EPA/DHA, spirulina, and astaxanthin.

Algix, in Marion, Miss., opened a new state-of-the-art facility to convert algae into bioplastic.

Many new projects sprung up around the world cultivating spirulina as a superfood to fight malnutrition. New research by the National Center for Biotechnology Information demonstrated spirulina to benefit HIV-infected adult women, and another high-level study showed spirulina to be significantly effective in controlling the spread of pancreatic cancer cells.

Omega-3 was embraced by both the public and many of the leading algal companies, as a pivot from fuel production. Research into Omega-3’s benefits have been widely known for years, and this year added further benefits to the list. Worldwide, consumption of omega-3 was estimated at to be 134.7 thousand metric tons currently, and by 2020 was projected to reach 241 thousand metric tons, with a value of US $4.96 billion.

Other algal research showed that Chlorella proved effective in lowering serum cholesterol, and that Alaskan seaweed could offer protection against conditions including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Michigan State University researchers discovered that a protein in algae could possibly enable early cancer detection and prevention.

Quite a bit of research centered around algae’s properties to improve animal health. The
 de-fatted biomass of microalgal species, derived from biofuel production research, proved feasible in replacing corn and soybean meal in many animal diets. Supplementing algae into chicken diets produced meat that was healthier than that of chickens raised on traditional diets without algae.

Don Smith, of Colorado-based Omega3Beef, supplements his cattle feed with algae.

Omega3Beef debuted the results of its innovative, all-natural cattle feed, supplemented with algal-based omega-3 levels similar to those found in halibut or mahi mahi. New research in Australia also showed improved consumer health benefits can be gained from grain-fed lambs by adding marine algae to their diet.

Scientists in 2014 also demonstrated that an algae-based anti-viral drug could cure horses of equine herpes virus-1. The mounting research and product development for algae in animal feed was strong during the year, with agricultural specialist Olmix launched a new product called MFeed+ to boost the value of animal feed by optimizing digestion using a unique combination of seaweed extracts. Animal feed giant Alltech developed SP1 – a safe, DHA-rich algae product fed directly to fish, poultry and cattle, which can allow the commodities of meat, eggs, and milk to be transformed into value-added, DHA-enriched functional foods.

Next we’ll look at how the industry’s major companies survived, thrived, or took a dive in the year that fuel made a U-turn.

2014 YIR Part 2 — Companies Driving the Industry

January 5, 2015

Sapphire Energy and their Chinese partner Sinopec were welcomed into the flagship EcoPartnerships Program. Photo: Sapphire Energy

Much of the development of the algae industry in 2014 was driven by domestic and international alliances, partnerships, and mergers that brought complementary skills and technologies together. These collaborations were forged in record numbers in 2014.

Heliae announced a partnership with Japan-based Sincere Corporation to develop a commercial algae production facility in Saga City, Japan, to supply natural astaxanthin. Photo: Heliae

Some of the more high profile collaborations:

• Renewable Algal Energy, a developer of sustainable products from microalgae headquartered in John City, TN, unveiled two powerful international partnerships: one, an off-take agreement with Neste Oil, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel; and two, a deal with Switzerland-based ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, for the commercialization of integrated algal production systems that will produce algae‐based products for the nutraceutical, animal nutrition, and renewable fuels markets.
• Sapphire Energy and Sinopec, along with five other new U.S.-China partnerships, were welcomed into the flagship EcoPartnerships Program July 10 in Beijing. The Program promotes cooperation between U.S. and Chinese organizations working on clean energy, climate change, and environmental protection.
• Gilbert, AZ-based Heliae announced a partnership with Sincere Corporation, a Japanese waste management and recycling company, to develop a commercial algae production facility in Saga City, Japan.
• Also in Japan, Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Euglena Co. agreed to work together to develop a new kind of biodiesel using algae, with a goal of establishing the technology by 2018.
• Synthetic Genomics and Archer Daniels Midland Company brought their powerful combined research, manufacturing, marketing and distribution muscle together and announced that they are entering into a long-term agreement to commercialize omega-3 Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) from algae.
• Solazyme’s partnerships in 2014 included Versalis, the chemical subsidiary of one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, to expand the commercial use of Solazyme’s Encapso™ lubricant for drilling fluids. They increased their partnership with AkzoNobel, a leading global paints and coatings company, to grow their surfactant business. Unilever and Solazyme, Inc. announced the introduction of sustainable algal oils for one of Unilever’s biggest soap brands, Lux. The company also announced that its joint venture with Bunge Global Innovation produced its first commercially saleable products on full-scale production lines, at the Solazyme Bunge Renewable Oils plant in Brazil.
• Imperial, Texas-based Qualitas Health struck a distribution agreement for its Almega PL omega-3 ingredient with Lipa Pharmaceuticals for sale to the dietary supplement industry in Australia & New Zealand.
• OriginOil Inc. announced that it will provide algae harvesting technology for the low-cost algae growth system from Algasol Renewables. The integrated system will launch at Algasol’s new facilities in Bangladesh – a unique, large-scale demonstration of micro-algae production for fish feed. Near the end of the year OriginOil also announced that it is launching a water cleanup subsidiary in Hong Kong and granting it a master license for the People’s Republic of China.
• As a sign of support for these international alliances, the US-based Algae Biomass Organization and the European Algae Biomass Association agreed to collaborate to further the development of algae biomass technologies in the U.S., Europe and globally through events, conferences and policy advocacy.

One of OriginOil’s 75 GPM flocculation units to be used in their joint venture with Spain’s Algasol, in a collaboration on growth and harvest technology.

In what was perhaps the most significant development in corporate algae this year, an executive shakeup rattled the boardrooms of many the industry’s leading companies. Here are some of the ones that got the most notice:

• Sapphire Energy announced the appointment of biotechnology veteran James Levine as president and CEO, replacing Cynthia ‘CJ’ Warner.
• Synthetic Genomics, Inc. appointed Oliver Fetzer as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO, replacing Founding CEO, J. Craig Venter, who moved to Executive Chairman and Co-Chief Scientist.
• Aurora Algae Inc. replaced Greg Bafalis with Paul Angelico as President and CEO. Angelico, who spent a year away from the company, served as Chief Operating Officer from 2011 through 2013.
• At Heliae, Dan Simon stepped down as President and CEO, and J. Craig Johnson, Heliae’s then current CFO, was appointed as interim-CEO.
• San Diego, CA-based Triton Algae Innovations, a pioneer in synthetic biology, announced that Dr. Xun Wang joined the firm as President and Director of all Research & Development.
• Joule named Serge Tchuruk President and CEO, succeeding Paul Snaith, who resigned from holding that position since early 2014.
• Fort Collins, Colorado-based Solix BioSystems, Inc. announced the appointment of Austin Maguire as its President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Joel Butler.
• Phytoplankton physiological ecologist Dr. Mike Lomas was selected as the new director of Bigelow Laboratory’s Provasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (NCMA), replacing former Director Dr. Willie Wilson.

If these pivots, replacements, alliances and collaborations achieve their goals, 2015 should shape up to be a year of new directions and successful combinations.

2014 YIR Part 3 — Honorable Mentions for 2014

January 6, 2015

The NAABB’s final report was released, and it’s a big one.

was a year of change, a year of innovation, a year of growth. Here are some of the most encouraging developments.

Most anticipated research results:

The National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB) final report – it’s big and covers a lot of territory. Check it out!

Most interesting related technology:

Proterro patented the company’s proprietary photobioreactor, a novel element in Proterro’s patented sugar-making process. Company advisor Harrison Dillon co-founded Solazyme – which feeds sugar to its fermenting algae. Coincidence?

Biggest groundswell algae cause:

ABO launched a “We the People” White House petition to drive awareness and support of Carbon Capture and Utilization. Nearly 350 respondents from 45 states and 215 cities signed the petition, demonstrating broad enthusiasm across the political spectrum.

Biggest pubic funding:

Solazyme announced the sale of 5,750,000 shares of its common stock, and other securities with aggregate net proceeds of approximately $202.8 million. Timing is everything.

Biggest government funding for algae:

EERE’s Targeted Algal Biofuels and Bioproducts (TABB) award of $13-25M for algal biofuel research to find alternative pathways to overcome two of the key barriers to commercializing algal biofuels: the high cost of producing algal biomass and the low yield of target biofuel and bioproduct feedstocks produced from algae.

Smart Microfarms blazed a trail for the small-scale algae farmer.

Best high drama in the algae industry:

Algenol began the year by producing an algae sex tape (the first?) and then won the 2013 (Florida) Governor’s Innovators in Business Award (not for the sex tape, we’re assuming) and shortly thereafter ended a months long struggle to justify their statistical worthiness for state-sponsored funding. Simultaneously, the company was beseiged by hackers who attempted to break into their computers 39 million times in four months this year, the most serious of these were more than 63,000 attempts that came directly from China. But it doesn’t stop there. According to CEO Paul Woods, “Ironically, the greatest threat to our business is the bureaucracy of the EPA,” which inflicted costly delays and non-inclusive policies in their 2014 actions. And then, to close out the year, Algenol Biofuels was named the recipient of the 2014 Global Energy Award for Industry Leadership in Biofuels. And you think you had a wild year?

Biggest company reboot:

Aurora Algae pulled up stakes in Australia and moved all the way to southern Texas to set up their production operation, replacing their CEO along the way.

Most ambitious cultivation project:

Advanced Algal Technologies purchased animal nutrition company Ridley’s former salt fields in north Queensland, Australia, potentially making AAT the largest production facility of algae in the world – if they complete their plan to produce 500 acres of spirulina.

Best trailblazing effort:

Smart Microfarms continued to develop the practical prototype for home-style spirulina growers. Automated and networked functions were added to offer remote control and networked maintenance systems to small-scale algae farms.

Most Patriotic Algae Initiative:

The National Algae Association encouraged US algae producers to proudly label algae-based products “Made in the USA.”

Biggest food innovation(s):

Solazyme gets a twofer on this category for AlgaVia Protein, a golden-yellow powder with a pleasant savory flavor used as a source of protein, fiber, healthy lipids and micronutrients, in everything from nutrition bars and smoothies to crackers and gummy bears; and Algae Milk, a product of the company’s algalin flour made from microalgae and free of dairy, soy, lactose, and nuts.

Proterro patented their sugar-production bioreactor.

Highest profile algae-as-a-construction-element usage:

In Hamburg, Germany, the SPLITTERWERK group-designed Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) building, with active algae facades, enjoyed its first year of operation.

Latest to join the Green Crude fraternity:

Muradel launched Australia’s first integrated demonstration plant to sustainably convert algae into green crude, as a first step towards a commercial plant with the potential to produce 80 million liters of crude oil a year.

(Sorry if we missed your important contribution to 2014’s Year in Algae. If so, please email us and we’ll happily pass along your news!)

All things considered, it was a challenging year in many ways for the industry and its investors. However the innovations powered by algae, the collaborative efforts across the globe, and even the broad scale replacement of top corporate leadership signals that 2015 will be ripe for finding new approaches to commercial success in the algae business.

It should be a dynamic year ahead for algae. We wish you great success in 2015!